Homeworks tough but love's even tougher
by Nibbs
Summary: UpDate Hey, I hope this is sweet and kinda funny. Anyway, emotions are thrown around when the gang try to figure out how they REALLY feel about each other
1. Default Chapter

HI!!!!!!!!!! I'm back and I know its been a while and most people have forgotten my work but I actually wrote this story and saved over it by accident and that was horrible. But anyway this is a romance because that's what I write most of the time {Heck all of the time}. I know its not a very original idea, a high school fic but I think its got great potential, not my story, the idea. Also I intend on putting a lot of songs into this so bear with me and I'm hoping to match up a good few couples. So here's my disclaimer  
Pokemon and the aforementioned characters are property of Nintendo   
But the story is mine and if somebody intends on stealing it, please don't. It will achieve nothing, if you want to use it for some reason, please contact me.  
Doddlebabe@hotmail.com.  
Please read and review, it's my first story in quite a while so I'm a little nervous  
Nibbs  
  
  
Chapter one  
  
A fifteen-year-old took a deep breath as he gazed at the building that stood before him.   
He heard nothing but good things about it: nice teachers, good facilities, friendly students, beautiful architecture, roomy so that it wasn't confining, freedom within limits and beautiful location. He had to admit the place looked nice and the building was indeed beautiful. He exhaled, trying to calm his nerves as he took the first steps into a major part of his new life. His mom had moved them and it was his first day at the school. It was important. He missed his old school, his old friends and even his old teachers. He noticed students passing by him, unaware of how lucky they were to know this school that well. They all looked perfectly at home. Happily living in their own world and that's what this school was, a world of their own.  
"Hi" a bright voice chirped.  
He turned around and jumped.   
An attractive girl, a very attractive girl with long shining green hair that gleamed in the light, was standing behind him. She held one hand by her hip and the other hand held it behind her back. She had large brown eyes that glittered with friendliness, affection and humour. She wore a tight fitting red dress that went down to her mid thighs. Along with a pair of baggy jeans and a long sleeved white tee shirt lacy sleeves. She had a purple backpack on her back {Surprisingly}  
"My name is Duplica. You're new here huh? You'll fit right in here, welcome to school. I'll show you around " the girl exclaimed enthusiastically.  
Um, thanks" Todd said, a little shakily.   
Cute girls usually never went out of their way to talk to him. The bell rang loudly, the sound slicing through their brains.  
He saw Duplica cringe and turn to him with a smile.  
"Do you want me to come with you to the office?" she asked, smiling.  
"No, I'm ok. You should get to class" he told he with a reassuring grin.  
"Ohh look, Duplica's got ANOTHER friend who won't see her as anything but one of the guys, and how many would that be?" a taunting voice asked. A stunning brunette stood behind them, hand on her hip. Waist long rich hazel hair swung as the girl spoke and her dark brown eyes filled with malice.  
Duplica spun on her heel and gave Duplica a mocking smile.  
"Well gee, Giselle. I don't know, how about you try counting it on your fingers. I know its hard, but you've been getting so close and any day now I know you'll master it" she said in a sickly sweet voice with pseudo encouragement dripping from her voice.  
Giselle look at her wide eyed and then narrowed her beautiful rich eyes.  
"Uch whatever" she said dismissing Duplica with a flick of her slender hand, as she usually did when she lost a battle of the wits and she always lost when she chose to fight Duplica. Duplica made a face at the brunette's back and looked at Todd with an apologetic smile.  
"Sorry about her, hey what's your name?" she asked suddenly, realising that she had forgotten one of the most basic techniques of making a friendship.  
"Todd but my friends call me Snap, you better get to class though"Snap said, eyeing the teacher who was walking towards them with long strides.  
Duplica smiled at him again but this time it was a different one, like a secretive smile, revealing her happiness at the knowledge of his name or nickname. She walked away down the hall but threw him an intrigued smile. Snap smiled and awaited the teacher's arrival to get directions to the office.  
After about twenty minutes, Snap found himself wondering down the hall searching for a certain class. When he found it he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He had seen new students at his old school and he knew how they had been treated. He opened the door and everyone's heads swung around to stare at him. As he walked down the aisle silence rang out. His shoes squeaked softly as he made his way down when he spotted Duplica and slid into the empty seat next to her. Behind him, a boy his own age with spiky black hair watched him curiously. The spikes fell over his forehead and it appeared to be floppy more than spiky. He had tanned skin and brown eyes. Next to him a boy the same age as him, slightly shorter was leaning back in his chair. He had chesntnut hair that sprouted out beneath the hat he wore. His eyes were closed and appeared to be sleeping. The class went on, everyone apparently forgetting about the newcomer and as did the next few classes but Snap never got a chance to meet up with Duplica or any of her other friends. Every teacher held him back after class to talk somethings' out with him. Finally lunch came and Snap headed down towards the cafeteria. He was lining up in the queue when some started picking things of the counter and placing them on his tray. Duplica winked as she sank her teeth into an apple.  
The gangs hanging outside and I thought you'd like to join us and treat me a free lunch"  
"Do I have a choice in the matter?"  
"Nope"  
  
"Fever night, fever night, Fever  
We know how to do it" Ash sang.  
"Knock it off" Misty's irritable voice snapped.   
"Fever night, fever night, fever" he continued.  
"Oh all alright, here" Misty cried in exasperation as she shoved the sandwich over to Ash  
"We know how to show it" he finished before he tore into the sandwich.  
"You're such a charmer" Misty remarked sarcastically and then stretched out on the soft grass.   
"I know, a lady killa' from the 70's"  
"If by "lady killa'" you mean you make ladies want to kill you then I agree"   
"And you've decided you're a lady since when and more importantly. Why?" Brock piped up from behind them, he was leaning against a tree in the shade, arms tucked behind his head. He and Ash both laughed at his joke and both received a mouthful of grass each. Misty then stretched her arms above her head, giggling as Ash and Brock spat out the grass and began coughing grass.  
"That looks less then pleasant" Richie remarked as he sauntered over to them   
"I'm thirsty, I'm gonna head and grab a drink" Misty announced and walked off towards the cafeteria  
With that, she stood up and walked off, Ash looking after her almost longingly but coughed a grass ball on Richie's shoe.  
"Dude!"  
  
"Oh wait, I have to get something, wait here," Duplica said and she turned and ran off. Snap held his hands behind his back and became whistling. He began rocking back and forth on his heels. He began looking around taking in the surroundings.   
His whistling got louder and took a swig from his drink.  
"Hey buddy, do you take requests?"   
Snap jumped and turned around and nearly fainted. The girl standing behind him made his breathless. The girl was looking at him blankly, somewhat bemused. Fiery red hair gleamed under the sunlight making shine and when she wind blew, rustling she short locks, the hair came alive like a dancing fire. A pair of baggy black hipsters that rested on her hips showing off her slender flat stomach disguised her long legs. Her skin looked silky and creamy. Her curves were shown off well by the very short, long sleeved top she had with a vest top of equal length over it. She was the same height as him but she was still taller than most girls were. She tilted her head causing her red hair that spiked out to fall at the side of her sweet face. The most striking thing about her were her eyes. They were a mixture of blue and green and reminded him of the Mediterranean Sea; she was probably as deep as that ocean. These were the sort of eyes that you could get lost in. His mind struck completely blank   
"Hmm, guess not" she remarked.  
His lungs finally had enough of not getting any oxygen and he sprayed out the drink from his mouth. He hadn't meant to, sometimes his internal bodily organs didn't get along and there has been a battle between his brain, his heart and his lungs but all seemed pretty week without oxygen. He stood looking at Misty shocked; her hair glistening from the drink he had showed her in. Her hand wiped the layer of 7up with some other things that had and the important word is HAD been in Snap's mouth. She wiped the drink from her face giving Snap a glare a Gyrados would have been afraid.  
"Nice to meet you too" she, pushing the wet strands that clung to her already wet face. They heard someone gasp and burst out laughing. Duplica arrived back holding a notebook   
"Hey Misty, you ok?" she greeted, trying to hold in the unbearable need to laugh.   
"Hey, what's up with the fountain of eternal fizzy drinks here" Misty asked nodding at Snap who had gone silent from the shock of meeting this redheaded beauty and then drenching them. Somehow when he dreamed of meeting the prettiest girl he'd even seen, projecting things from his mouth at her, hadn't really fitted into the dream.   
"Be nice to fountain..I mean Snap" Duplica said and tossed Snap an assuring smile.  
"Ok, OK. So your names Snap?" Misty asked facing him terrifying him without even attempting to do any such thing.  
"Well that's what my friends call me. I'm a photographer" he explained finally finding his ability to speak.  
"Really?" both girls asked, surprised.  
"I'm Misty" Misty said and held out her hand to shake.  
"You can't go wrong if you have us for friends" Duplica said with a wink.  
"Yeah plus Misty could beat the crap outta anyone who crosses you," A voice added. Ash and Brock had come up behind them.  
"True but then in a violent rampage she could turn on you. Quite frankly, I'm not sure it's worth the risk. Me? I was drawn in a long time ago. I simply am trapped. You can getaway, thought" Ash joked. Misty swung around to fix Ash with a death glare.   
"Awhh isn't she cyuuuuttteeeee when she's pouty" Ash said ruffling Misty's hair then took off sprinting away.  
"GET YOUR BUTT BACK HERE!!!!!!!" Misty yelled tearing after him leaving the others to follow.   
A large group congregated near one guy. The guy who was the most popular guy in school, the guy who was the toughest guy in school, the guy who always got what he wanted. The guy who had floppy red hair and a red shirt and was always in the centre of attention and happy to be there.  
He heard Misty yell out at Ash and he stood up, all the followers of his snickering, eager to see what he would say to the redhead as he blocked her path. Snap, Duplica and Brock all stopped and watched and Ash watched from a distance. Misty personified annoyance at the moment. Her arms folded across her chest, leaning back on her left foot while her right foot tapped impatiently, her facial expression was one of boredom.   
"Hey Mist, I'll move my butt wherever you want me to" he said coming within inches on her faces. Her cheeks flushed with anger and a smirk crept across her face.  
"Then how about out of my face? " she shot back, her hand slapping onto her hip and the other falling by her side, the smirk not moving.   
Richie took a step back and ran his hand through his hair. He could hear all the laughs even the stifled ones.  
"So you still haven't come around, Mist?" he asked  
"Apparently not" Misty replied. Rudy stared at her, willing her to back down and cave. So for a few intense moments both pairs of eyes locked, neither defences willing to crumble. Rudy saw the determination in her eyes and the dislike  
"Maybe some other time, Mist. But you are going to cave" he said and walked away. This was pretty much an empty prediction, as Misty was known to be able to trample even the toughest of guys.  
Snap let out sigh, disappointed and relieved. He was glad that Misty shot this guy down but if she was able to shoot down THAT guy so easily then what hope did Snap himself have. Ash shook his head, he really wished Misty had never hit puberty. When they were ten, no other guy but him was even interested in Misty and if they were it had nothing to do with her looks. When Misty was a kid, she was tomboy and that made it even harder for any guy to like her in any other light. Well any other guy than him. Now that they were teens, it seemed every guy wanted a piece of the action. Not that Misty couldn't handle them but it bugged him when they were interrupted.  
"Heya Misty?" Brock asked, tapping her shoulder. Misty turned around to look at him when he grabbed her and slung her over his shoulder. Ash then proceeded to throw grass in her hair. Misty shrieked but you could tell her that she was having fun as were Brock and Ash. Misty eventually struggled out of Brock's grasp but the shifting of the weight caused Brock to lose his balance and the pair landed in a tangled heap on the ground. Misty freed herself first and stood over Brock with an evil smile.  
"Please Misty, it was Ash's idea" Brock pleaded, jokingly.  
"Sellout" they heard Ash yell somewhere from behind Duplica and Snap.  
"I'll deal with him when we go home" Misty said.  
Misty nearly always went home with Ash because her sisters drove her nuts and it was hardly like Ash or her Mom disliked her and visits.   
Brock stood up and he was taller than she was.  
"I am not afraid of a girl," he said in a deep voice that boomed out.   
But when he looked on the feisty redhead who had the bravest men trembling. No one knew how or why, Misty never looked exceptionally strong or tough but may God have mercy on the fool who thought she wasn't. Everyone who ever met Misty would learn that in an instant and had.  
"I'm so sorry, please don't hurt me," he cried, crouching down so he had to look up at Misty. The bell rang, starling everyone and making them jump. Misty sighed and walked over to Richie and shook his shoulder. He opened one eye lazily and yawned.  
"Let's go, sleeping beauty," she said.   
Richie yawned and turned his back to her.  
"Again?" she asked.  
"Hey I'm trying to toughen up and I haven't saved up for real weights so until I do, it's you and Duplica," he said as he hoisted Misty up on his back.  
Misty slung her arms loosely around his neck. They caught up with Ash and Brock while Snap and Duplica held back.  
"Why not try Ash?" Misty suggested as they walked next to Ash.  
"Did you see how much he ate, I'm trying to toughen myself not kill myself and I like my spine" he joked.  
"Hey!" Ash cried defensively.  
"Plus that would be such a disturbing image, I'm shuddering to think of it" Duplica added.  
"Face it Misty, he using you and Duplica as weights"  
"Man, I gotta get you some more female friend type people" Misty said with a sigh.  
  
"You're friends are pretty great" Snap told Duplica as they started making their way to class.  
"Um yeah, they're the best " Duplica said without her usual enthusiasm. She had seen the way Snap had looked at Misty all the way through the lunch break.   
  
"Whoa" Brock said halting suddenly.  
He was leading however and Ash crashed into him and in turn Richie with Misty crashed into Ash creating a domino effect. Richie struggled to regain his balance; after all he had to regain balance for two now.  
"Hey! I've gotta highly volatile redhead on my back. Don't do anything to alarm her" Richie cried.  
"When really she's more afraid of you then you are of her and so sudden movements," Ash joked.  
"What am I? A spearow?" Misty snapped, then her voice changed back to a casual tone. "Anyway, redheads are supposed to fiery. It's the unwritten law of the land"  
Everyone followed Brock's gaze to where Giselle was standing. Giselle with the perfect figure in her rich green sundress and her waist long luxurious chestnut tresses and her big beautiful eyes with that beauty spot below her left eye.   
"Hey what's up with Brock?" Duplica asked as came up beside them with Snap  
A dirty smirk crossed Richie's face,   
" I think I know and it's located somewhere down sou... OWW!"  
Richie turned his head back as far as it would to glare at the redhead currently residing on his back.  
"None of that sorta talk, now you hear me" Misty told him with a strict look.  
Giselle walked towards them, her Cubone in tow.  
Giselle walked past Brock as if she didn't see and straight to Ash.  
"Hi Ash" she purred. Richie felt Misty tense up on his back.  
"Have a good summer?" Giselle continued, batting her eyelashes at him. Ash was beginning to get uncomfortable, but then he wasn't the only one.  
"Yeah, I had fun"  
"I bet you did, in fact I bet you always have fun" she said with a sweet giggle and she gently pushed his shoulder with her hand, the picture of femininity.   
"Misty, please..I ..can't.. breathe" Richie choked out, his face turning an unhealthy shade of red.  
Duplica turned and gasped when she saw Misty's arms tightening around Richie's neck with every word that Giselle said to Ash.   
Misty let go of him when she finally seemed to notice that she was choking Richie instead of the brunette. Duplica suppressed a laugh.  
"I better go" Giselle said in a silky voice and she walked away, with such grace that it seemed she was floating. She was in truth completely opposite to Misty.  
"Ash, you're so annoying " Misty snapped form her perch on Richie's back.  
"What?" Ash asked, defensively and CVONFUSED. Ash KNEW that sometimes he was dense but somehow he doubted a rocket scientist could understand why Misty was suddenly angry with him. Duplica eyed Misty, concerned. Maybe a rocket scientist couldn't figure it out but all depended on whether this scientist was a male or female because Duplica was female and she DEFINITELY got it   
"You don't get it.. you don't get me" Misty told him angrily and then stormed off towards the school.  
"No argument here" Ash responded annoyed at her behaviour but more annoyed at its randomness and his inability to understand.  
The rest of the group watched them, with uneasy feelings in the pits of their stomachs.  
This was going to be some day  
  
To be continued.  
Well what did you think, please read and review and feel free to email me.  
Lots of love Nibbs 


	2. detention

Ok sorry for the delay, but I get easily distracted. I don't own Pokemon and all the  
characters are in no way mine but the plot is. Well maybe not the plot because it a pretty  
standard plot but the dialogue and details and all that malarkey do belong to me. I want  
to thank the people who reviewed my story is means so much to me. THANK YOU!!!!!  
And the rest of you please review.  
I hope you enjoy the story, this chapter's kinda slow but.. hey you came this far, you may  
as well read it and if you do read it. REVIEW it, please?   
  
  
  
"What was that?" Misty demanded of herself angrily as she slid into her seat at class.   
After she had stormed off from her friends. She held her head down holding her hand up  
as if ashamed. Ashamed of what everyone would think. She was embarrassed and there was no two  
ways about it.  
"What was that?" Misty cried in her mind.  
Sometimes she really acted like an idiot; she groaned and buried her face in her arms.  
"Oh come on, red it can't be that bad. I'm here," an annoying voice said, trying to be  
suave.   
Misty sighed and looked knowing exactly whose face she would be looking into.  
"Yeah it can, Rudy. You're here," she said in a deliberately distraught voice.  
Rudy facefaulted and he walked away to his seat. He could hear the snickers.  
"Dude, she's never gonna go out with you" one of his friends told him.  
  
"That's my girl!" Ash said proudly as he collapsed into the seat next to her.   
They always sat together, even after a fight, they had as long they had been friends and  
that friendship had been pre-sandbox days, which was even before playschool  
Ash was still very confused at what had happened earlier but he saw the way Misty had  
shot Rudy down instantly and he it made him laugh. That was the Misty he knew, never  
afraid to be tough and the take anybody who needed to be taken down a few pegs. Never  
afraid to have be herself.  
As Ash sat down Misty could feel her cheek warms and she could almost feel the light  
pink tint on her usually pale cheeks. (Feeling humiliated is such a sucky time consumer)  
Misty thought to herself, annoyed.  
. She placed her hand to the side of her face trying to hide the pink tint that was getting  
darker. She faced away and when she heard the groan from Ash, she felt bad. She didn't  
want him to think that she was mad when she was simply humiliated for behaving the  
way she did and was continuing to behave. She turned away and little did Ash know that the  
light pink tint had turned into a full scarlet blush.  
The maths teacher looked up and did a double take. He scanned the class at the beginning  
of class as he always did and he found a pair of blue green eyes looking up at him. He  
always watched the small group who always sat by the window. The two pairs of eyes  
locked and he noticed that Misty the owner of the sea green eyes, the red head who fully  
lived up to the reputation of a fiery redhead was wearing a blush redder than the tee shirt  
of her friend Duplica. He liked Misty, she was a smart, funny girl and she was fully  
capable of taking care of herself. Sometimes a little too feisty but he liked her as a  
student and as a pupil. He liked Ash as well. Ash was a great kid full of charisma and  
never stopped trying. But he had tendencies to daydream in class and he wasn't the  
greatest at maths. Duplica was smart as well. Duplica was quick-witted and sometimes  
that did backfire on him and he often found she was too eager to make a joke but she was  
smart and funny. Richie was a very smart kid, laid back and enthusiastic but then other  
times he really could be so lazy.  
Anyway, he was teacher first and foremost and teach is what he would do. He turned  
around with a quick greeting and then began writing up a maths problem on the board.  
When he turned around he saw Ash daydreaming and looking into his copy, presumably  
imagining some Pokemon battle.  
"And maybe you can answer this question, Ash? Since you were paying attention the  
whole time?" the teacher asked, suspecting that Ash hadn't been staring attentively up at  
board like Misty had been.  
Ash looked at the board. The teacher watched him.  
"Well its, OW" he suddenly yelled.  
Everyone looked at him strangely and he glared down at Misty until, he saw her tapping  
her pen off her copy, which had the number 4, scribbled in really big writing. She tapped  
on the number and nodded at the question on the board.  
"Um four" Ash told the teacher.  
"That's correct, alright" the teacher said looking at him suspiciously but turning back to  
the board. Ash let out a sigh of relief and slumped into his chair. He opened his notebook  
and scribbled in a short note He elbowed Misty and tapped his pencil on the message.  
"Thanks but did you have to kick me?"  
Misty read it and scribbled something underneath it while Ash faked looking up at the  
board attentively.  
Misty returned the notebook and looked up at the board. Ash read and smiled to himself.  
"Nope but it was more fun that way"  
He knew what that gesture had meant, it was an apology, well a Misty apology which  
often ended up with a kick but he appreciated it. The class ran smoothly and then came  
their last two classes of the day. This was a double English class and the teacher was one  
of the most hated in the school. Misty and Ash sat in the corner. Snap had to see the  
Principle and Duplica was doing another class at that time, Richie sat in front of Ash and  
Misty, and Brock didn't have the same classes at they did.  
The teacher walked in, a woman in her mid thirties. The class was talking and to save  
face the woman had to lay blame on someone and as it happened Snap walked in a few  
moments afterwards.  
"Oh decide to grace us with your presence?" she demanded.  
"Well I was talking to the"  
"This is your first day so I'll go easy on ya, sparky. 20 pg. essay on the importance of  
arriving on time" she snapped.  
Snap looked at her in disbelief and the rest of the class looked away. Ash and Misty  
exchanged glances when Misty yelled out.   
"That's not fair," her voice cried out.   
The room was silent and her voice bounced off every surface and echoed around the  
room. Misty was becoming nervous but she didn't show it. instead she fixed the teacher  
with one of " I'm not going take this look"   
Everyone turned around in their seats to look at Misty, who was sitting at the side of  
class, tapping her pen against the desk.  
"Oh really Ms Waterflower. Please stand up and elaborate" the woman barked in a tone  
that had the class shrinking into their seats even though they weren't even in trouble.  
Misty however brushed some of the stray hair out of her eyes and stood up, in an  
opposing stance.  
"How is it not fair, Ms Waterflower?"  
"He was talking to the principal and you know you can't punish him for that, you just  
trying to find a scapegoat. You can't punish someone because of that" Ash objected.  
"A 25 pg. essay for you, then. Wouldn't to punish him unfairly and not you"  
Every member of the class took a sharp intake of breath and looked back at Ash and then  
Misty, awaiting her reply.  
The class knew Misty would always stand up for Ash. Most of the class had been  
attending the same schools all their lives. Some of them even knew each other form  
playschool. Not many though.  
Misty stared at the teacher with cold eyes. Ash knew how icy her stare could become and  
he REALLY knew how intimidating that could be.   
"He's right and you know it" Misty said.  
"I gotta agree with him, well both of them" Richie added as he leaned back on the back  
two legs of the chair  
The teacher who had turned red at this stage, from anger and embarrassment stalked  
through the class and slammed her hands on Richies desk, glaring at all three of them.  
Her angry glare turned malicious and a cruel smile crept across her face.  
"Then I guess I'll have no choice but to give you all detention" she said, then spun on her  
heel and glared at Snap who was staring frozen at the front of the class .  
"You too, whatever your name is, now get to your seat" she barked. Snap scampered  
down the aisle and slipped into the empty seat next to Richie. The teacher{ yes I know I  
gave her no name, but I didn't feel like it} walked back up the front of the class and  
turned to the whole class. Picking up her chalk she turned and began scribbling furiously  
on the board.  
"Now back to the subject at hand, Justice is the theme of our English studies at the  
moment " she called out.  
  
Ash groaned as he glanced down at his detention slip.  
"So that was a fair and reasonable English studies class" Misty remarked sarcastically as  
she and Ash headed towards the detention room.  
"Hi Ash" a female voice purred. Ash looked over and saw Giselle approaching him.  
Misty sighed and rolled her eyes before looking away.  
"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to step on anyone's toes" she said, looking at Misty, fake  
sincerity dripping from her voice.  
Misty's fists clenched by her side and she gritted her teeth but Giselle swung her gaze  
back at Ash.  
"Don't worry. You could totally take her" a female voice consoled behind her and Misty  
turned around to see Duplica smiling reassuringly.  
"Yeah" Misty said with a sigh.  
"And you know I'd be your back -up"  
Misty smiled at this.  
"So anyway what happened, I heard there was a big blow up at your English class and  
four of you got detention"  
"That's exactly what happened"  
"That is harsh"  
Giselle was still talking to Ash who becoming uncomfortable, he had never been any  
good with flirting girls. He grew up with Misty and in a way that's what he thought all  
girls were like or should have been like and Misty never flirted with him.  
"Giselle, I'm glad I caught up to you," a man cried walking up to him. Giselle facefaulted  
and turned to him.  
"Yes Sir?"  
"Well its about this essay you had to do over the Summer, well it suspiciously looks like a  
chapter out of this book and oh look.. it is. Isn't that a hoot, could you tell me why that  
is?" the man asked wearing a smirk.  
"Well I, Mr Mullins, lets be reasonable here if I go to detention then that's less of time I  
can dedicate practising"  
"Giselle you're a very talented young lady"  
"That's true Mr Mullins but "  
"And I would hate to think that I took away from your talents"  
"Exactly"  
"But I'll live, detention after school, Giselle. Maybe if you're really good you may get to  
show off your amazing talents" Mr Mullins said with a chuckle as he walked away.  
"People are so unreasonable, sometimes" Giselle barked as she turned on her heel and  
stalked off. The battalion followed loyally.  
"C'mon I'll walk you guys to the detention room is" Duplica offered, Ash followed her  
and Misty paused looking at Snap.  
"You coming, shutter bug?" she asked teasingly.   
Snap hoped that his blush wasn't too evident but it seemed not to be as Misty threw an  
arm around her shoulder and walked with him chatting. Misty didn't see guys as potential  
boyfriends, she saw them as friends who were boys and never acted differently around  
boys. Well except Rudy but then he acted differently around her than most other boys.  
No other boys tried to chat her up to the extent that Rudy did and her friends never  
made a move so in turn she treated her male friends like brothers so wasn't bothered by  
her own actions. She didn't think twice about them.  
The all stopped when they reached a door. Duplica waved at them and walked out the  
main entrance, a little lonely as most of her friends were in detention. She met up with  
Brock and they walked home.  
"Hey Brock?" Duplica asked nervously as they were walking home  
"Yeah" I  
"I think I like someone as more than a friend but he seems head over heels with  
somebody who doesn't even seem to notice that he's a guy. She just sees another friend  
but I see more than that, what should I do?" she asked quickly, her face quickly changing  
to a bright red.   
"Duplica I like you as a friend but"  
"Not you!"  
"Opps sorry"  
"Well come on give me some guru advice"  
"What? Sorry Plica but I'm no guru. Just give this guy time," Brock suggested.  
"Um ok" Duplica said, unsure of the advice but paused at a house.  
"Well you've been very gallant to walk him home," she said as she began to walk towards  
the front door of the nice white two storey house. The picket fence she laid her hand on  
wobbled under touch and glowed brightly and in a flash had transformed into a Ditto.  
The mailbox had a similar reaction but had transformed into a smaller Ditto. Duplica  
giggled and scooped them both up into her arms and rubbed her cheek off them  
affectionately.  
"Gallant, that's another word to the list of words I've been called by girls"  
Duplica gave him a funny look but smiled.  
"You do that, Brock. I'll see you later"  
"By the way, do you know where the other guys are?"  
"They caught a bad case of Detentionitis and are currently recovering in detention"  
"Ooh highly contagious. Bye Duplica"   
"See ya, Brock"  
Brock began making his own way home smiling to himself thinking of his friends in  
detention. He had to admit; detention didn't seem quite as unbearable if you had your  
best friends there and best friends who were as amusing as his were.  
  
Elsewhere back at the detention room.  
Misty sighed the clipboard that hung off the door with unusual aggression.  
"Misty you write on that an harder and you'll crack the door" Ash remarked as he  
watched her form his seat on top of the desk closest to the door.  
"Hey you know what they say. The pen is mightier than the sword" Richie replied.  
"Yeah but that's not very true is it?" Ash asked.  
Snap looked at the clipboard listening in to small parts of the conversation that Richie  
and Ash were well conversing in.  
"Dude it's a pen. What's it going to do leak blue ink on you?" Ash. Misty shook her head  
and sighed and she flopped onto the desk next to Richie, Ash had stood up to argue his  
point and for the dramatic aspect of it.  
"It's not literally a pen versus a sword, Ash," she said.  
"Yeah its like writing something, you know using your intellect is stronger than using  
force"  
"What makes you two so sure you're right. You said a pen and a sword, the size in itself  
in enough to.."  
"Hey guys" Snap called out causing them all to look up from the debate that wouldn't be  
going anywhere soon. Ash walked over.  
"What's the deal with clipboard?" he asked.  
"Oh you sign it to prove you were at detention, see you sign in when you arrive and sign  
off when you leave. like clocking in" Ash explained, signing his name and handing the  
pen to Snap.  
"Oh right"  
|"You never had anything like that in your old school?" Misty asked.  
"Not really" Snap admitted.  
Giselle walked in that moment standing at the door to look at her friends.  
"Well, girls?" she asked expectantly, apparently not even noticing Richie, Snap, Ash and  
Misty.  
"Sorry, we couldn't get into detention. We tried everything we could think of" her friend  
babbled apologetically while Misty smirked.  
"Because that's sooo extensive" she muttered to Richie.  
"Laurie even mooned Mr Mullins"  
The small group of four burst out laughing at that and Giselle turned and glared at them.  
"It's not funny" she growled at them.  
"You are very wrong, Giselle. Its very funny" Richie choked out between laughs and then  
all began laughing again. .  
"Well what happened?" Giselle demanded.  
" They sent Laurie to the school psychologist" a girl named Leena told her.  
"We don't have a school psychologist," Misty said, sounding puzzled.  
"They called one in"  
"Or maybe they just sent Laurie home" Richie suggested.   
One of the girls looked very confused.  
"They could have done that to, we don't know   
"Well if we do get a psychologist, we can finally send Misty to therapy" Giselle said, with  
a mocking smile.   
"Oh look there goes the janitor, maybe you can all go flash him" Misty suggested with a  
bright smile.   
She was enjoying this and it was obvious.  
Mr Mullins walked in and the girls and scurried away. Giselle signed the list on the  
clipboard and reluctantly found a seat by the window.  
"Ok so do some homework or something of that sort" Mr Mullins called out. Misty and  
Ash sighed and began playing a game of hangman, Richie laid his head on the table and  
began to sleep. Snap stared down at his schoolbook lost in his own thought. Thinking  
back on his first day, he had some really amazing people who were his new friends.  
Although he was in detention, he felt great. As far as first days go, this was a pretty  
fantastic one.  
  
To be continued.   
  
Ok that's it. So please review or if you want to get in touch with me my email address is  
Doddlebabe@hotmail.com.   
Lots of love   
Nibbs 


	3. The aftermath

OK so here's the third part and here's the deal. I got reviews saying that my story is hard to read so I tried spacing it out, in fact I ended up making the story with pages longer with the spacing so I hope that makes it easier to read.  
Also this chapter contains not Pikachu because   
This chapter deals with some of the characters personal lives and I was intending on doing for every character please tell me what you think of this idea.  
I don't own Pokemon or the characters. They belong to Nintendo so there you go. But I do own the story so don't steal it.  
As always my email address in case you want to get in contact with me is  
Doddlebabe@Hotmail.com  
And as always, please review this and I hope you enjoy the third chapter.  
  
  
  
The clock ticking away seemed to be the loudest sound in the class room each tick grating off the unfortunate students souls as they waited for the vital moment when the hour hand hit the hour when they could leave and go home, their precious homes that they would give anything to be at about now.   
  
Ash propped his head by his hand and gazed out the window longingly. He too wanted to go home , to train his Pokemon and eat his mothers delicious cooking. he couldn't wait till he got to go home and play with his Pikachu. He was always happiest when he was playing with his Pokemon. Well that wasn't strictly true, he was happiest when he was hanging out with Misty and playing with Pikachu and without realizing, a smile crept across his face.  
  
"OK what could you possibly be smiling about?" he heard Misty ask and when he snapped back to reality and found a pair of blue green brimming with curiosity.  
  
"Um I was just thinking" he answered.  
  
"Uh huh"  
  
Ash scowled when he heard the doubtfulness dripping form her voice and the incredulous stare she had fixed him with.  
  
"Yeah, I was thinking about ice cream" he continued, knowing he had hit on one Misty's weaknesses.  
Instantly her face softened and she gained a starry eyed dreaminess and she stared off into space. hardly a look befitting of the tough nasty girl others considered her to be.   
  
"Mmmmmm , ice cream, oh I could kill for a tub of ice cream" she murmured .  
  
Ash began to back off slowly and he saw Richie stiffen up.  
  
"So I guess you like ice cream" Snap remarked casually{At this stage, they are speaking in whispers}  
  
Richie slapped a hand over Snap's mouth and he smiled innocently at Mr. Mullins who had fixed them with a puzzled but suspicious look.  
  
"Don't start. We just don't know where it'll lead" Ash whispered frantically.   
  
Mr Mullins glanced at the clock and stood up.  
  
"OK gang, that's that. Go home, I'll see you tomorrow" he said.  
  
Everyone stood up to leave when Misty turned to the others with a smile.  
Now only four of them were left in the room.  
  
"OK which one of you fine gentlemen will buy me an ice cream?" she asked.  
  
The guys all exchanged looks and two hearts were melted by the redheads sweet smile.  
Richie slung his hands behind his head and walked away whistling.  
  
"Hey your sisters would murder us if you kept you any longer " he replied.  
Mistys' smile faded.  
  
"Aww c'mon will one of you keep me?" she asked hopefully when smiled innocently and made a cute childish face which made her look at least ten. Misty had that ability to make herself look much younger than she was.  
  
"I'll be your best friend" she promised in a small voice.  
  
"HEY!" Ash cried, glaring at Misty.  
  
"Oh alright, I'll be your second best friend because Ash of course is my best friend" she said. Then folded her arms and gained a sulky expression. "Though what kind of best friend wouldn't buy his childhood friend and best bud an ice cream"   
  
Ash shook his head and grabbed Mistys' wrist and began to race out of the building dragging her along after him.   
Richie walked after them at a casual pace and Snap followed him.   
They found Misty leaning against the gate of the school and Ash was saying something to her. They headed off. Snap found out that all lived near each other and Misty and Richie lived next door to each other.   
They paused at a large dome that stood on the corner of a street.   
Next to it a fairly large house stood. A small hall connected the gym to the house and next to the house stood another house.  
  
"This is where you live?" Snap asked fumbling for his camera.  
  
Misty nodded and turned to him.  
  
"My sisters run the water Pokemon gym here and they put on water shows" she explained with a shudder.  
  
"Hmm I wish I had more interesting tale to tell but I live with my Dad next door" Richie added.  
  
  
"Our families hang out a lot, " Misty explained.  
  
"Yeah My Mom, Misty's sisters and Richies Dad" Ash said.  
  
"Yeah we know they conspire against us" Richie added.  
  
"Look I should get going guys, cya" Ash said as began to walk away.   
  
He walked away and threw a look over his shoulder, for a second he thought he thought he saw Misty watch him go but as soon as he looked back, she looked away. Misty tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear. Richie picked up on this and smirked.  
  
"Why Miss Misty. You're look rather flushed" he taunted. Msity looked at him threateningly.  
  
Snap watched as Misty warned something about wiping that smirk of Richies face.  
  
"I should go "Snap said but as he turned to walk away he heard a delighted voice cry out.  
  
"Pika!" a small pikachu was charging towards the teens and into Richies' arms. Some fur had gone astray and had spiked to the side of its head.  
  
"This your Pikachu?" Snap asked.  
  
"If it isn't , then some other trainers will probably have a problem on their hands" Misty stated as she watched the Pikachu nuzzled into Richies arms.  
  
"Misty!" three females voices screamed. Three stunning girls stood at the entrance of the dome with angry looks.  
  
"Ooh looks like they figured out your strategy"   
  
"It doesn't take a genius" Misty said with a self depreciating smirk then turned on her heel and began to walk towards the annoyed trio.  
  
"You boys play nice now" she called over her shoulder and the guys could see as soon as she had reached her sisters some sort of disagreement had begun and Misty appeared to be giving cheek.   
It was the only explanation for amused expression and her hand placed firmly on her hip. They disappeared into the house leaving Richie and Snap alone.  
  
"My dad will be wondering where I am, you wanna come in?" Richie offered.  
  
Snap shook his head.  
  
":Nah I've got some work to do at home. Bye"  
  
With that they both headed their own ways.  
  
Ash was nearing his home and he said Misty's name aloud.  
  
"Misty Kasumi Waterflower"  
  
It was musical almost.   
Just as he opened the small white picket gate to his house, he was ambushed by Mr. Mime, who was on a sweeping frenzy and Ash had to dance around where he was sweeping.  
  
"Whoa, Mimey a little self control won't go unnoticed" he cried, jumping back from the panicky sweeping of the as far as Ash was concerned , insane Mr. Mime.   
  
He rushed into his house and looked around the mountains of boxes with dotted the house. His Mom popped her head around the door and she ran over and engulfed Ash in a bear hug.  
  
  
"Ohh sweetie, how was your day ?" she cried.   
  
She paused when all she heard was muffled cries and she gasped and instantly let go of Ash who had begun to turn purple.  
  
"Yeah it was OK, Mom. We made friends with a new kid" Ash said, casually as he began to raid the fridge and decided to leave out the part concerning detention.  
  
"And you were with Misty in detention, right?" Delia asked.  
  
"What? How did you?" Ash stuttered, blushing.   
  
His Mom was waving a note Misty had passed to him in detention concerning detention with Misty's name on it. She waved it in front of Ash's face.  
  
"Sweetie, it never does anyone any good trying to keep something from your Mom" she said with a smile. Ash snatched it off, her blushing.  
  
"Ash had got a crush, Ash has a got a crush, Ash has got a crush" Pikachu chanted in her Pika language. Ash scowled at her.  
  
"Weren't you napping ?" he growled.  
  
"Pikachu and I think you and would make the cutest couple don't we, Pikachu " Delia asked Pikachu.   
  
Pikachu nodded.  
  
(Yeah I love Misty. She's the only person who can keep Ash in line. She's a good friend and the only I won't shock you for bringing home well maybe except Duplica)  
  
"OK sweetie, tell me about this new kid"  
  
"Well his name is Snap. He seems pretty cool. Duplica who made friends with him instantly. She's great like that, she can be so welcoming but before either of you say it I don't have a crush on her"  
"I know sweetie" Delia replied, casually as she placed a small bouquet of flowers in a vase in the center of the table.  
Ash looked over at his Mom surprised.  
"Really?" he asked in disbelief  
"Of course, we know that your crush is on Misty " she answered logically.  
{Ash if you went out with another girl behind Misty's back, I have to warn you, I would blast you with so much electricity , you could power large cities} Pikachu warned.   
Ash threw his arms in the air. "Ughhh, women" he cried before collapsing onto the sofa.   
  
"We're not even going out, I can't cheat on her' he grumbled.  
  
(Hey not my fault, you don't have the bravery to go for it) Pikachu stated as she leapt off the sofa in search of ketchup  
  
Ash opened his eyes and saw his Mom's face looking down at him. She was leaning on the back of the sofa. She placed a finger to her cheek and tilted her head thoughtfully."Misty? That's a beautiful name, suitable for a girl as pretty as she is and it's such a lovely name. I bet she's graceful and elegant and moves like a swan"  
  
  
Ash looked at him Mom is disbelief. Was she actually disregarding everything she knew of the tomboy Misty? Surely she knew that Misty was as ungraceful as they come and had performed nearly task that would be deemed ungraceful, well alot of them anyway.  
  
"Yes very graceful indeed and swanlike" Delia repeated as she went into the kitchen.  
  
  
"Whoaaaaa" {THUD}   
  
Misty opened her eyes and blinked. After some insane dance routine being forced on her, she did something wrong and now found herself gazing up towards the sky, as usual. She looked up at the ceiling tiles, most people never really got that many opportunities to gaze up at they're own ceiling. Most people did find themselves sprawled out on they're floors. Most people never lived with  
  
"MISTY!" a high pitched voice shrieked. A face twisted in an angry scowl was staring directly down at her.   
Her pink pair fell down around her face and tickled Misty's nose.  
  
"She's no swan" a tall slim girl with long perfectly styled blonde hair remarked.  
  
"Totally, she's as graceful and elegant as an Useraring with a hangover" a girl the same height with the same build but had long blue perfectly styled hair and purple eyes..  
  
"She's also two feet away" Misty snapped sitting up. Her sister with shoulder length pink hair sat back and sighed.  
  
"Misty, you are letting us all down majorly. I mean what good is having three amazing beautiful talented sisters if they're a black mark on our amazing reputations and that mark" she said, pushing Misty's nose with her index finger. "Is you, lil runt"  
  
Daisy the blonde sister and the most motherly of them and Violet the blue haired one gasped and frowned.   
Misty stood up angrily and faced them with the typical ready to fight stance. Feet digging into the ground firmly and at a distance from the other. Fists clenched by her hips and a serious glare clouding over her aquamarine eyes.  
Daisy knew what this meant.   
Their little sister was prepared for war.  
  
"I never wanted to dance, I hate dancing. I hate dancing and singing and swimming and as far as I'm concerned I'd happy if I never did any of them ever again. I hate living here, I hate having sisters like you, I'd be much happier if I could leave and find someone who didn't always tell me what I'm doing wrong. Your judging me by your standards and I never wanted to be anyway suitable by your standards" she spat angrily and tore out and up to her room.   
  
Daisy and Violet turned to Lily.  
  
"Well at least she's got the drama part down" Lily commented .   
  
Daisy sighed and walked out of the room, leaving Violet to angrily yell at Lily. Misty was lying on her bed when Daisy knocked on the door.  
  
"Don't you dare come in, I don't want to see any of you. GO AWAY!" came the angry reply.  
  
Daisy twisted the door handle and the door opened, she looked over at her lil sister sympathetically.  
  
"Misty" she began as she walked over and sat on the bed.   
  
She laid her hand gently on Misty's side, but the young redhead refused to look at her even thought she was facing the door. Daisy took Misty's chin in her hand and turned the redheads face to look at her. She held it there and she could see that she had Misty's reluctant attention.  
  
"Kiddo, your getting better"   
  
"I don't want to get better, I don't want to do this, why are you always trying to get me to do this? I just don't have it in me and why is Lily always acting she's got something up her bu.. umph"  
  
Daisy clamped hand over her sisters mouth and gave her a warning look.  
  
"Watch it, we didn't raise you with that mouth" she threatened.   
  
Misty narrowed her eyes at the blonde and Daisy smiled at her. That glare was a family thing, no matter how much she acted differently to her sisters, Misty was truly they're baby sis. The trademarks were there, the facial and hand gestures, the expressions, certain actions and the way she held herself. Mostly by her facial expressions, especially her glare.   
She still held her hand over Misty's mouth.  
  
"Look, Mist. Lil gives you a hard time, we know that but you know that Lil doesn't mean what she says. She just likes to spout off and I know most of the time its in your general direction but you know she loves your so much and so do me and Violet. I'm trying to say, we're family we give each other a hard time but you know we love you more than anything. Your our baby sis, our lil runt"  
  
The last part earned Daisy a ferocious glare.  
  
"I've got an idea, look you come downstairs and practice and tomorrow you can sing while we dance."  
Misty jerked her head back and fixed Daisy with a stunned expression.  
  
"Your kidding me, you want me to sing?" she choked out, like the words had caught in the back of her throat.  
  
"That's the offer Mist. Take it or leave it but you hate dancing and to be honest your clumsy when it comes to dancing, sure you've got that whole waterflower walk and air but when it comes to dancing professionally, lets just say that gene wasn't passed on to you but you have to practice and you know that you're not going to get of doing some practice tomorrow. We are the sensational sisters and as long as your related to us which is forever , your going to be doing something sensational. Its what you signed up for when you left the womb"  
  
"I couldn't have wri.."  
  
"Metaphorically, Mist. Now move your waterflower tushie downstairs and get back to practising. By the way, who's the guy you're mooning over?" Daisy asked.  
  
Misty looked at her, shocked.  
  
"Daisy, I have more important things to be doing with time other than mooning over someone" she cried defensively.  
  
"Then why are you mooning over this other guy" Daisy asked, her hand brushing the doorframe as she left.  
  
Misty buried her face in her pillow and after a few moments peace, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. She glanced down at a photo that was framed on her desk. She ran a hand through her unruly hair and sighed.  
  
"Yeah, its great being the youngest " she groaned and left the room.  
  
To be continued  
  
OK so what did you think. Please review and tell me. I know that Misty doesn't really sing but in my story she does and it'll come into play later.  
So stay tuned for the next installment Hope you liked it.  
Lots of love  
Nibbs 


	4. no name for it

Hi, sorry about the delay.   
Stuff delayed me and stuff would. This story belongs to me, so don't steal it. If you want to get in contact with me my email is  
Doddlebabe@Hotmail.com  
Please read and review and I hope you enjoy it.  
  
  
  
  
A tall boy named Brock placed a hand over small girls' forehead and pulled it away sharply.  
  
"Jodie, your burning up, Sam, go get the thermometer" he ordered a boy slightly older than. Jodie  
  
"Is she going to be OK?" a female voice inquired.   
  
Brock turned to look at his younger sister, Yasmin.   
She was about ten but the still the second eldest in the family.   
He knew that she wanted to prove herself more than anything to him. Brock did rely on her, though.   
The kid was dependable.  
It was a pity she was still so young otherwise he could go out and live a normal life.   
He did resent his father that, though he had managed to find one thing he felt he owed his father.   
It was because of his father that he learned about his own limits. Anybody his age wouldn't be able to care for a family.   
This would only help his dream of becoming the world's greatest Pokemon breeder.  
Yasmin couldn't wait to grow up but Brock couldn't leave her with the responsibility that she wanted.   
Yasmin wouldn't be able to handle it and at least this way Yasmin got a choice  
  
"Hey Brock! Tell us a story about your school" a boys voice cried out.  
  
A small boy, this little guy was named Manny and another boy named Ben who was taller than he was and who was leading Ellie in by the hand followed him. Ellie and Manny were twins and so they were the same size   
  
"Well, lets see nothing much happened. There's a new student after enrolling."  
  
Jodie bolted up suddenly and threw up on Brock's socks.   
Everyone stared down at his feet in shock and Jodie burped and looked up at Brock.  
  
"Sorry, Brockie"  
  
Manny and Ben being little boys stared scrutinising the puke. Ellie looked away, repulsed. It was hard to say what she was more repulsed by, the mess on the ground or her brothers  
  
"Hey Jodie, did you have Cornflakes earlier?" Manny asked.  
  
Jodie clamped her hands to her face and ran past Yasmin who had just walked in and stopped dead in her tracks.   
Brock was shaking his foot in disgust.  
  
"Ben, Manny, get Brock a wet cloth for his feet and stop working out what Jodie had for lunch." Yasmin ordered and with that she ran into the bathroom to hold back Ellies' hair.   
  
Without both parents, the kids all had to make up for the loss and they had to help each other in replacement for parents.  
  
"Yup, being me is the best" Brock muttered as he wiped his feet clean and began working on the ground.  
  
  
  
Giselle stepped into her home.   
A very large home when her Aunt Andrea strode in with the grace of a supermodel and she paused.  
  
"Oh darling you're home. I need help picking out an outfit tonight, you should have seen what bought in the sales today" her Aunt gushed.  
  
She then strode into the lounge and produced about seven different shopping bags.   
Giselle was tapping her foot impatiently.  
  
"You know, most Mom's ask they're daughters how they're first day of school" Giselle pointed out.  
  
"Oh Giselle, I'm not your Mommy and I'm not really a Mom at all, I'm a sister with the figure of a goddess and looks to match.   
Not to mention impeccable taste in clothes and a proud family, but I'm not a your Mom.   
I always thought that you and me would be more like friends"  
  
Giselle rolled her eyes.   
Granted her Aunt was attractive, very attractive but she was no goddess.   
She was nothing compared to Giselles' real Mom.  
Giselle remembered the day her Mom left; she promised Giselle that she would see her again someday.   
Her mom had long gleaming chestnut hair that framed a porcelain face. She had beautiful rich brown eyes and she brightest smile.   
She had height that only added to her graceful appearance and she had a slim build.   
Giselle remembered when she was younger she would just stop and stare as her mother walked into the room and would approach her.  
Her mother would then kneel down next to her and stroke Giselles' soft hair and talk to her.   
  
"Your so beautiful sweetie" Andrea told her, awakening Giselle from her reverie.   
  
Giselle looked at her, surprised.  
  
"Everytime I see you I see your mother, she was so beautiful as well and so sweet. You're so like her, and so talented" Andrea continued her own silky grey eyes misting over.   
  
She placed a slender hand to her carefully painted lips and closed her eyes, long dark lashes displaying themselves as tears streamed down her pale cheeks.  
  
"Andrea" Giselle began but Andrea dried her eyes and whipped up a bag.  
  
"No sweetie, look at what I picked up for you" she continued as she whipped something silk out of one of the bags, the light bounced off its soft silky texture giving it a soft glow.   
  
Giselle ran her hand over the material,  
  
"And this" Andrea continued as she loaded up Giselle with shopping bags.  
  
"But Andrea I wanted to" she protested but with a quick hand gesture, Andrea had departed.   
  
Giselle stamped her foot in annoyance.  
  
"Now, now baby. You know there are better ways to get what you want" a male voice told her.   
  
Giselle dropped her bags and ran to her Father.  
  
"Hello, pumpkin" the tall man said, smiling down at her.  
  
"Daddy I missed you, Andrea has been..."  
  
"Pumpkin have you been training your Pokemon like I asked you to?" her father interrupted.  
  
"Of course Daddy" she replied indignantly and then turned to the stairs.  
  
" Cubone, come here" she called out.   
  
A small but healthy Cubone appeared at the top the stairs.  
  
"Come down here, Cubone"  
  
Cubone jumped up in the air and hurled his bone towards them; Giselle laughed and leapt up to catch it.   
Cubone climbed up on top on the banisters and slid down the railings down the stairs, flying into the air at the end of them.   
Giselle ran forward and was nearly knocked over with the force that the Cubone had creating landing in her arms.  
  
"Daddy, did you..."  
  
"That's fantastic Pumpkin, you've really got a knack of handling those Pokemon of yours" he said, not even looking up from some forms he held.   
  
He walked into his office and Giselles' heart dropped as she heard the familiar click of the door.   
She ran outside and scrambled towards a small pond when a lone figure sat.   
The person was gazing at the moonlight reflecting off the still water.  
  
"Hi there" Giselle began.   
  
The figure looked up at her.  
"Hi Giselle, how are you?" the young boy asked.  
  
Giselle sat herself down next to Joe, her best friend in the whole world.   
She was a year or two older than him they were just good friends almost like brother and sister,  
  
"Joe I hate this"?   
  
"Hate what?"  
  
Joe listened intently as Giselle poured her heart out to him, going over every problem in her life.  
Giselle looked at him sadly.  
  
"Its awful, Joe" she murmured.  
  
"It'll be ok, Giselle  
  
"I hope so, Joe"  
  
  
  
  
The next day.  
  
Delia Ketchum was gazing into the garden early that morning; her flower garden was the pride and joys of her life that and her son.   
Her son who happened to be charging out the door shoving some toast in his mouth and swallowing the contents of the milk carton in one gulp.  
  
"Bye Mom, I gotta rush or else I'll be late" he yelled out as he tore past her.  
  
"Ash Ketchum!" she barked.   
  
Ash froze in his footsteps and looked at his mother fearfully.   
It dawned on him then.  
  
"Sorry Mom" he said, jumping over the sofa and kissing his mom on the cheek.   
  
He then raced out the door.   
Delia sighed, smiling as she watched her son tear out the door.  
  
"Kids" she murmured.   
  
  
  
Tracey Sketchit took another look around his room frantically tearing tearring clothes from everywhere that it had been scattered.  
  
"Man, if I don't find that sketch pad I'll..." he muttered to himself as he continued on his rampage through the neat room.  
  
Tracey was a neat, orderly person but right about now; he could be mistaken for a Primeape.  
  
"Hey, as fun as this was, I feel I should put you out of your misery" a taunting voice observed.   
  
Tracey whirled around to see a girl a small bit shorter than him leaning against the doorframe of his frame.   
She was dangling the infamous sketchbook by the corner, very loosely gripped between her thumb and index finger.  
Tracey leapt over the piles of clothes that had formed on the floor in his room and dived for the sketchbook, which the girl promptly snatched away just as he was about to grab it.  
Tracey glared up at her from the spot on the carpet where he had landed in a crumpled heap.   
  
"What? No thank you?" she asked snidely.  
  
"Why don't you go torture some other innocent soul?" he asked as he grabbed the sketchpad off her.  
  
"Believe me, I would but I need your very limited expertise to get me to school" she shot back rolling her eyes.  
  
Tracey sighed and grabbed his bag.  
  
"Oh all right, just could you try not being annoying as possible?" he asked as he headed out the door and down the stairs.   
  
The girl grabbed her hat and placed it carefully on her head, checked her reflection in the full-length mirror and slung her bag over her shoulder.  
  
"Lead on, butt munch" she called as she followed him.  
  
"Bye kids have a good day" Tracey's dad called out to them as he left.  
  
The girl looked at him and left with a   
  
"Um yeah, whatever"  
  
Adam Sketchit sighed as he watched them both head off for school.  
  
"This is going to be harder than any of us thought" he muttered.  
  
  
  
Misty yawned and stretched her arms above her head, causing the dark blue material of her tight tee shirt to shift around upper body and reveal a lot of her stomach.   
She held her hands in the air for a moment, stretching as much as she could, unaware of the attention she was attracting from the opposite sex.   
She was also unaware of the position her stretch was putting her in, her top was being suspended above her waist by her out stretched arms and she was pushing her chest out to get a maximum stretch.   
Richie paused when he noticed Misty doing this and jumped.  
  
"Hey Misty, right?" a guy's voice asked and somehow three or four guys had found their way over to Misty and Richie.  
  
Richie instinctively jumped in front of Misty who blinked in surprise completely unaware of the pose she had been unwittingly made a few moments earlier.  
  
"C'mon Misty, lets go" Richie said and began propelling Misty away from the disappointed guys.  
  
"What's up with you?" she demanded when Richie had felt they had led her far enough from the hungry eyes that were eating up every ounce of flesh Misty showed.  
  
Richie gave her an annoyed look and sighed.  
Sometimes Misty could be completely blind to the effect she had on guys and then other times she used it to her advantage, most of the time she thought that guys just wanted to be friends.   
Sometimes she really saw the world through the eyes of a child.   
  
"Couldn't save those kind of stretches for your home, I'm sure your sisters wouldn't think anything of them" he asked almost accusingly.  
  
"Hey guys" a voice called.  
  
Ash was running towards them full speed.   
Misty's eyes filled with alarm when it looked like Ash wouldn't stop. She held her arms up to her face in a defensive stance and she let out a scream.  
When she opened her eyes and pulled away her hands, she Ash was smirking.  
  
"You could have hurt us," she cried.  
  
"Relax, I knew exactly what I was doing" he said in a confident voice.   
  
Misty snorted as she walked ahead of the two boys.  
  
"You NEVER know what you're doing" she stated in a matter of factly voice.   
  
Ash ran up to catch up with her and so that he could continue the argument.   
Richie shook his head and watched them with a smile of an amused parent but ran after them.  
  
  
Giselle walked into the school outwardly happy, charming and her usual self, inside bubbling over with rage.  
She was so sick of her Aunt Andrea treating her like a doll or a pet. When she didn't want to deal with Giselle, she completely ignored Giselle but then sometimes she got motherly urges and had to something with her.  
It was becoming impossible to keep up and quite frankly, Giselle didn't want to.  
It was then that Giselle had decided that she needed an after school activity.   
She leaned against the wall, the door to her class was locked and her teacher was late.   
A few other students had also showed up and were waiting, talking to each other and then gasped when they saw Giselle and instantly talked to her and soon her usual crowd surrounded Giselle.   
  
Brock, Richie and Misty were walking down the halls, chatting and joking, Ash had disappeared off somewhere with very little excuse even after Misty raised an eyebrow at him and gave him 'that look'.  
Ash never could withstand 'the look' but today he managed it and left. Misty had been upset by that and had tried to glare Brock into submission over nothing.   
Richie stepped into intervene when Brock was about to crumble and since then they had carried on their usual conversations: aimless, entertaining, sometimes confusing, most of the time confusing, funny, and even sometimes contradicting.   
And this was the normal type of conversation; sometimes their conversations appeared from out of the blue.   
Suddenly they all paused.   
Misty raised her hand to her mouth in disbelief; Richie scratched the back of his head and Brocks' jaw dropped.   
The three of them stood there shocked at what they had seen.  
  
"You look great" Misty said when the shock wore off.  
  
Duplica stood in front of them wearing a figure hugging red Chinese silk dress.  
Two long slits ran up the side of the dress and her long green hair fell loosely and framed her face.   
The effect was only slightly ruined by the white runners.  
  
"Wow that's tight," Brock said looking at the dress.  
  
"So which Barbie doll did you that take off?" Richie asked causing both guys to burst out laughing.   
  
Duplica frowned at them and Misty slapped them both.  
  
"You're just jealous" Duplica snapped as she folded her arms.  
  
"Yeah you guys couldn't pull off wearing that dress" Misty told them with a smirk.  
  
"Actually I'm envious of her legs" Brock admitted.  
  
"Its ok, man. I want legs like that too" Richie said then sniffed and both guys wailed and hugged each other while jokingly crying.   
  
Misty laughed but stopped abruptly when she saw the evil look Duplica gave her.  
"  
So are you trying to impress?" she asked.   
  
Duplica blushed and looked away.   
Suddenly her brown eyes went wide as she saw Snap making his way down the hall.   
A couple other guys were walking down so when Misty followed her gaze, she couldn't tell which one had the usually outgoing, confident Duplica hiding behind Misty.  
  
"You did NOT break out the big guns to hide behind me" Misty snapped as she grabbed Duplica's arm and flung her out in front of her.  
  
"Whoa, um hi Duplica" Snap said, shocked by her outfit and it was obvious he was impressed.  
  
"Hi Snap" Duplica said, her voice slightly quavering.  
  
Misty raised an eyebrow at this but dismissed it quickly.   
  
The bell rang and soon students began to scatter to the four corners of the school.   
Snap froze when he saw Misty for the first time that day.  
A pair of baggy pants hung loosely on her hips and her short blue top hugged her figure.   
Over the blue tee shirt she was wearing an even shorter white vest top.  
  
"Hey guys" Brock said approaching them.  
  
Everyone turned around to face him and smiled and said their greetings.  
  
"Have you guys seen Ash?" Misty asked, looking around for her misplaced friend.  
  
"He'll show up, how can he resist?" Richie asked, with a smirk.  
  
Misty shot him a glare and headed off towards her class  
  
"Ladies can be temperamental" Brock remarked.  
  
Duplica then glared at Brock and walked away.  
  
"Ohhh nicely done" Richie mocked as the three guys headed towards their class.  
  
To be continued.  
Ok I hope you liked it, in my opinion, it'll get better.  
Please read and review.  
I know nothing happened in this chapter but I am building up to something. You just have to have faith in me.  
Lots of love   
Nibbs 


	5. chapter 5

OK disclaimer time.  
I don't own Pokemon but I do own the story so don't steal it.  
If you want to get in contact with me, my email address is  
Doddlebabe@Hotmail.com   
Please read and review  
On with the show.  
  
  
Misty sat on the tall seat in the biology labs.   
Snap and Dupllica sat in the seats in front of her and she sat at the back.   
The seat next to her was empty.   
Some guys had attempted the fill the seat but they had to compete with the time honored tradition of best friends sitting together.  
Misty sighed and glanced at the void space that seemed alarmingly empty.  
The teacher had begun speaking when suddenly the door burst open and Ash stood at the door, out of breath.  
Everybody looked up at him curiously and the teacher waited for the explanation.  
  
"Sorry miss, I was inadvertently delayed" he said quickly and then hurried to the end of the class and slid into the seat beside Misty.  
  
"Where were you?" she asked, in a soft whisper.   
  
He shrugged and looked away.   
Ash had been acting strangely all day and usually he always let her on his schemes so that she could out the tiny problems that could make everything go awol.  
Ash saw that he hurt Misty's feelings but if he told her, it would ruin everything.  
  
"And so I want you to pair up into pairs and work on various topics" the teacher called from the front of the class.   
  
Ash turned to Misty.  
  
"Up for another school project avec moi?" he asked, grinning at her.  
  
Misty gave him a funny look.  
  
"You think you have a choice?" she asked.  
  
"It is nice to be appreciated."  
  
"No one said that I appreciated you"  
  
"You looooooovvvvvvvveeeeee me" he taunted.  
  
Misty gave him an unexpected shove which caught him off guard and knocked him off his seat.  
The desks were quite high and they were at the back so no one saw him.   
Misty looked down and tried to suppress a giggle.  
  
"Misty? Where's Ash gone? He hasn't left has he?" the teacher asked at the front of the class.   
  
Everyone turned around and looked at them.   
Misty pointed down at Ash was.  
  
"Um I'm here, miss" Ash said, popping his head behind the desk.  
  
"Oh Ash, I didn't see you come in"  
  
"Yeah you came in the via the secret passage way that leads in the science labs desks" Misty muttered .  
  
Duplica suppressed a laugh upon hearing this.  
  
"Your not trying to climb into the desk?" the teacher asked, alarmed.   
  
The whole class gave the teacher a puzzled look.  
The desk were made of solid pine all the way through.   
  
"Eh no Miss, I wasn't" Ash said trying not to sound as confused as he looked.  
  
"What are you doing down there?" she asked, as Ash was still on the ground and the only thing you could see was his head and neck.   
  
"He eh dropped a pen "Misty said quickly but Ash didn't hear her.  
  
"Where is it?" the teacher asked.  
  
"Where is what?" he asked, puzzled, knowing that the science teacher got weirder and more scatterbrained everyday.  
  
"This pen you dropped?  
  
"The pen I dropped?"  
  
"YES! The pen you dropped"  
  
"I didn't drop a ohh, well its emm"  
  
Misty slipped a pen of the desk and dropped it into Ash's hand.  
  
"Here! " he yelled out holding up the pen up in the air triumphantly.  
  
The teacher waked down and inspected the pen.  
  
"I'd say it more of a biro then a pen but that's really a matter of opinion. A plastic Bic with a gold nib to be precise"   
  
"I suppose that might be more accurate" Ash admitted.  
  
The class continued and the projects were chosen.  
During English studies Tracey arrived in.   
The girls waved at him and the guys gave him grins.  
He found a seat next to Richie.   
A girl followed him in.   
A girl with waist long brown hair held back in two loose ponytails and a hat over it.   
She wore flared jeans and a pink see through top with long sleeves and a hood and underneath she wore a tight pink vest top.   
The teacher walked over to her and just as he was about to speak she blew a bubble and popped in inches away from his face.   
The class went silent, shocked.   
The girl brushed back a shoulder length bang from her face.  
  
"And who are you?" Mr. Mullins demanded, angrily as he whipped the pair of sunglasses away from her face.  
  
"My name is Melody." she replied coolly.  
  
"Alright, Melody. Spit it out" he ordered.  
  
Melody rolled her eyes and spat the chewing gum into the rubbish bin.  
  
"Happy?" she asked, not really caring who she was giving this attitude to.  
  
Gasps went up around the class.  
  
"Take your seat this instant and I want to hear no sound from you for the rest of the class" Mr. Mullins told, struggling to keep his anger in check.   
  
The girl had a problem with authority which was strange because she came in with Tracey who was a good student, he never had any behavior problems so how did they both relate to each other.  
Maybe it simply a coincidence.  
  
"Excuse me sir?" Giselle said raising her slender arm.  
  
Mr. Mullins and Melody looked at her.  
  
"Melody can sit next to me" she volunteered  
  
Mr. Mullins looked at her doubtfully when he saw she was surrounded as usual by her friends.   
Giselle threw the girl; sitting next to her a look and the girl quickly scrambled over to the seat on the girls left leaving an empty seat beside Giselle.  
Melody shrugged and made her way down the aisle.  
The reaction from the rest on the class was pretty much the same as when Snap had first walked down the aisle of his first class but while Snap was embarrassed as he walked, Melody walked with confidence basking in the attention.  
  
The rest of the day went off smoothly.   
Ash never explained where he was and Misty never said anything about it.  
Snap was gaining more confidence as time went on and he began to feel more sure about himself.  
Duplica was getting annoyed by the way Snap kept giving Misty sidelong glances.   
Tracey was getting used to have Melody around most because she wasn't around him and he was getting to know Snap.  
Brock had managed to get a couple of the gang to help him babysit tonight.  
Misty had volunteered first, she wanted to get out of practicing tonight and she loved Brock's family.   
She had a way with kids.  
Ash agreed out of sheer boredom and he loved nothing better than being with his friends.  
They could bring their Pokemon to Brock's and just have a great time.  
They weren't allowed to bring their Pokemon to school.  
Duplica decided to go as well because the kids thought she was hilarious and she could try out some new material on them.  
Snap decided to go as well because Duplica who he considered his best friend would be there and maybe he could make Misty see what a great guy he was.  
Tracey agreed so that he needn't be around Melody.  
Richie was laid back so he didn't really care where they hung out.  
  
Eventually the day ended and the gang was heading towards Brock's house.  
Misty, Duplica, Snap, Ash, Tracey, Brock and Richie were heading out the door when   
Misty froze on the spot .  
"Hey what's up?" Richie asked.  
"OK I had six Pokeballs and now there's only five." she said, panic beginning to creep into her voice, making it shrill.   
  
She began to take short breaths and her eyes were wide with fear.   
Ash placed both hand on her shoulders and tried to keep her still.  
  
"Look calm down, we'll find it. Which one is missing?" he asked.  
  
"Psyduck"  
  
"You have a Psyduck?" Snap asked, surprised.   
  
"Now is not the time for the Spanish inquisition, OK?" she shrieked.  
  
"HEY! He was just asking, don't bite his head because your neglectful of your Pokemon" Ash objected.  
  
"What did you say?" Misty growled, about to lunge at him.   
  
Brock stepped between them and Richie was Misty back. and she was struggling to get loose.  
  
"Look this won't help us get Psyduck back" Brock told her calmly .   
  
Misty took a deep breath and let it go and slumped her shoulders.  
  
"I guess your right" she muttered.   
  
They heard a whistling and saw the principal coming towards them, they were near his office.   
Misty's eyes widened as she saw him step through the door, kicking a pokeball as he walked.   
The small ball rolled into the office and the door closed with a click.   
  
"He just kicked my Psyduck in there" she hissed.  
  
"Well just ask for him back" Snap suggested.  
  
"I/she was banned from bringing Psyduck in after the incident" Richie, Ash, Duplica and Misty said at the same time.  
  
"He's always suspicious of me" Misty muttered.  
  
"Gee I wonder why" Richie said.  
  
"We can create a distraction and you guys go in and get the Pokeball back." Duplica suggested .  
  
Misty and Ash exchanged looks.  
  
"OK, the girls got a good brain in there" Trcaey said, grinning..  
  
Ash knocked on the door and waited until he heard a clear "Come in".  
Tracey, Brock, Richie, Duplica and Snap walked in and Misty and Ash got down on their hands and knees.   
They crawled in slowly, avoiding the principals attention.  
  
"Ah, yes what can I do for all of you?" the principal asked, surprised to see so many pupils at one time.  
They remained standing so that the principal would have to look up to see him and Misty and Ash could crawl around.   
Misty saw the Pokeball under the desk and crawled underneath the desk and Ash followed her.  
They both squeezed into the small area that was for the principals legs.   
Their noses' were practically touching his shins.  
  
"Well it's just that there have been some things we would like to discuss" Brock began .   
  
Misty grabbed the Pokeball when suddenly the principals' leg swung forward and smacked into Ash's nose.   
He was about to let out a yell when Misty slapped her hand against his mouth to stop him from making a sound   
The group could see the principals attentive expression change to one puzzlement. when swung one his legs over each other as he always did when he felt his leg hit something.   
They knew what this meant, Ash and Misty were caught.  
He pushed back his chair and peered under the table and jumped back.  
Misty and Ash looked up at him sheepishly.   
He peered down at them again, this time angrily  
  
"See Ash, I told his trousers were black" she said, looking at Ash.  
  
"I thought they were navy, well now that that's sorted" Ash said and they pulled back out from under the table.  
  
  
"Miss Waterflower, Mr. Ketchum. If I many speak to you privately about this ... debacle" he said in a calm yet still very angry voice.   
  
"Do we have to?" Misty asked.  
  
"Miss Waterflower this offer is non-negotiable. " he said, narrowing his eyes at the young girl.  
  
Then turning to the others, he smiled at them, the smile or a shark about to eat his prey.{If sharks smile}  
  
"I shall deal with you all later with right now, these two are the most prominent problem"  
  
"Sir please, I know I messed up but I'm really sorry and its not anyone's else fault but mine " Misty said, sincerely.   
  
She threw Ash a helpless a look and he mouthed "Use the look".   
  
She mouthed back "No Way" and he mouthed back something at her.   
Ash watched her turn to the principal.   
She had some sort of trick where she managed to make her eyes big and sweet, like that of a child and she gave him a cute innocent little smile.  
While Misty could be beautiful, she could also be adorable, like a five year old.  
  
"Sir, I'm begging you for another chance" she pleaded using her cute expression and then changed to puppy dog eyes.  
  
Anyone other than the principal would crumble when Misty turned on the cuteness to this extent.  
Unfortunately the principal had nerves of steel.  
  
"You wait outside" he said to the others .  
  
Then turning to Misty he began speaking again.   
  
".Miss Waterflower, you certainly have a knack of melting anyone's heart with those looks but I've principled every member of your family and I know its all in the genes so you'll forgive me if I don't fall for it"  
  
"Can you technically principal someone?"  
  
"Just sit here and wait till I call your sisters"  
  
Misty folded her arms and slumped in her chair and Ash sighed.  
  
"And I'll call your mother. It's a pity that a sweet woman like your mother has to be dragged in here to deal with her delinquent of a son"  
  
Twenty minutes later outside the office.  
  
"How much trouble do you think they're in?" Duplica asked.  
  
"Well Ash's Mom is very gentle but I think she could come down a like a pile of bricks on Ash if she's found that he's not behaving and Misty's sisters are beautiful but they are nut cases" Tracey replied.  
  
"Yeah but they are beautiful" Brock said dreamily.  
  
Richie waved his hand in front of Brock's face and sighed.  
  
"We've lost him" he informed the others.  
  
"YOU BETTER PRAY THAT WE WEREN'T DRAGGED DOWN HERE FOR SOMETHING THAT YOUR NOT PARTIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR" Daisys shrill voice rang out as she stalked up to them.   
  
Her high heels clicked on the tiles of the office.  
  
"Shhhhhh" the secretary hissed.   
  
The others watched the stunning blonde turn on her heel and glare at the secretary placing her hands on her hips.  
  
"Don't you dare shush me. Like who do you think you are dragging me down to the school cause of my high maintenance sister and you like tell me what to do.   
I don't go here any more so you can't tell me what to do.   
Yeah I used to go here and you know what I didn't listen to you back then either."   
  
"Daisy I think you should take a breather, your going crazy" Richie told her, trying to be reasonable.  
  
"Oh yes I remember you and your sisters very well. Its no wonder why your little sister turned out the way she did, with role models like you"  
  
Daisy glared at her and was about to sat something when the principal swung out of the door and looked at Daisy.  
A pretty woman with brown hair walked towards them.   
Her hair was held back in a ponytail and a Mr. Mime followed her.   
  
"Please Mrs. Ketchum, Ms Waterflower. We have matters to discuss" he said solemnly.  
  
Snap and Richie peered into the office in while Daisy walked with her head held high and her face registering rage and Delia Ketchum looked disappointment.   
  
Misty sat slumped in the chair, she turned around when she heard the rustling and she shot her sister a sheepish smile.   
"Hiya Daisy" she said, nervously.  
This was one of the only times Ash saw Misty really being human, being afraid of a higher authority well then and when she saw a bug.  
  
"Everyday after school you are marching your butt back home and practicing 'till we tell your excused and then after that you march your butt up to your room 'cause you are grounded till your old enough to claim old age pension" she growled.   
  
Mistys smile faded and she avoided her sisters smoldering glare.  
  
"Ash, what have you done?" Delia asked softly, looking at hers on, upset.  
  
"Mom, I..."  
  
"You caught two of us under your desk trying to get a Pokeball lets not blow this out of proportion" Misty said without thinking, as soon as the words were out of her mouth she regretted them.   
  
"Young lady your input was not asked for " he growled at her then turned to Daisy "We must keep a united front on this to ensure discipline at all times I think the most appropriate course of action would be to detain Misty and Ash along with their accomplices in detention for a month or so"  
  
"I'm afraid that won't be possible Misty and my other two sisters and I all have training every day and right now we're really working hard to get Misty to cooperate-operate and this will like totally mess that up. We'll take care of her, so thanks and cya" Daisy said standing up and turned to the door.  
  
"Daisy, sit back down" Delia told her, kindly.  
  
"Ms Waterflower I'm insisting that your sister be kept on detention I invited you here to inform you of what was happening and I had hoped that together we could decide upon an appropriately adequate punishment and I had assumed that I would receive your full co operation."  
  
Daisy looked at him some doubt some shock and some anger playing on her face.  
  
"Are you like, coming onto me?" she demanded.   
  
Ash tried to hold in laughter, Misty looked at her sister shocked and somewhat amused, Delia was simply shocked and the principals face turned beet red and his face changed to shock and embarrassment.  
  
"Miss Waterflower! I certainly insinuated no such thing. " he cried.   
  
Daisy folded her arms.  
  
"My sisters training is very important, too important to be replaced by detention and I made the decision. I'm the adult in the house so I get to decide what's best" she said, matter of factly.  
  
The principal rubbed his temples wearily then looked up as if he had some inspiration.  
  
"What kind of training are you and your sisters participating in?" he asked.  
  
"Well my sisters and I put on water shows at our aquarium and we trying to train Misty to dance and we're really trying to get her to sing" Daisy replied, sitting back down,  
  
"I'm not a dog" Misty snapped.  
  
"Down girl!" Daisy said, distracted by the principals question.  
  
"Well our drama department is putting on a musical and I know that rehearsals would be every day after school. I'm sure that Misty would receive the desired training and the drama teacher is always looking for students to participate in the show" he suggested.  
  
"No way, that is"  
  
"Totally perfect. You've got yourself Misty, she can practice everything there and then she can come home and practice."  
  
"Of course we can't guarantee her a role"  
  
"Of course if you saw Misty trying to dance you wouldn't want her to be on stage. Talk about a catastrophe" Daisy said a smile.  
  
Misty looked at her sister with pleading eyes but it was no good.  
  
"Well what about Ash? "Delia asked.  
  
"Well he has a choice between detention and the musical"  
  
"This really shows how downhill our school drama has gone "Misty snapped.  
  
"Well Ash?" Delia asked, giving her son a stern look.  
  
"That's not a choice, " Ash objected but sighed in defeat. "The musical"  
  
"Great! You may leave now and don't let me catch you in here again"   
  
They left the office, Daisy wearing a bright smile and Misty scowling.   
Delia had an arm around Ash's shoulders and Ash slumped over and his hands were shoved in his pocket   
  
"Oh you two are going to look so cute" Delia announced smiling at them.  
  
This comment left the others wondering what exactly had transpired in there.  
  
"Hey guys?" Richie called out.   
  
Misty and Ash turned around.  
  
"What happened in there?" they asked.  
  
Misty and Ash exchanged looks.  
  
"An evil, evil deed" they replied.  
  
To be continued.  
  
Thanks to everyone who give me reviews.  
I don't mind constructive criticism but I don't see the point of writing a review thats just pure nastiness.  
I read a relly nasty email about one of my stories, my first full story and the person didn't have the balls to sign it.  
But that person can kiss my ass coz' I'm still here writing stories and getting better at it {Hopefully}  
As always I hope you enjoyed this chaper.   
Please read and review, Please?  
  
Lots of love  
Nibbs 


	6. chapter 6

Ok sorry about the delay,things have been kinda hectic.  
I don'town the chacters but I do own the stoy so please don't steal it.  
I hope you enjoy it.  
  
  
  
  
Richies' father Mark glared down at his son.  
  
"What were you thinking, Richie?" he bellowed at his son who sat frozen in his chair.  
  
Mark was about the only person who could scare the ever laid back Richie.  
  
"Dad if you give me a chance to explain" he protested but was cut off.  
  
"Richie please!...Does this have anything to do with your mother?"   
  
Richie stared at his Dad shocked.   
It had been a while since his Dad had brought his Mom into anything.  
When Richie was eight, his Mom had walked in from the kitchen where she was making dinner.   
She kissed Richie on the forehead, puzzling him and she kissed his father on the lips softly.  
She had then announced she wasn't happy there and she was in love with another man.  
Richie remembered seeing the devastated look on his fathers face and then the doorbell rang.  
Richie ran to answer it, knowing his parents would soon argue.  
A tall man stood there, he looked taken back to see a tall man.  
His fathers best friend in fact.  
He then heard his father exclaim from the kitchen  
"My best friend!"  
And Richie understood perfectly.  
  
"Hey there, slugger. I need to speak to your Mom" the man said with a grin, not realising that Richie knew.  
  
Richie kicked him in the shins and ran back to the kitchen.  
His mother had left that night with his fathers friend and it was the first time Richie ever saw a grown up cry.  
Richie remembered that he had walked into the garden that night and sat there and sobbed.  
  
"Hey, you ok?" a voice asked him.  
  
Richie looked up and saw two kids his own age.  
One was his neighbour who he knew and he had played with, a small girl with bright ocean green eyes, spiky red hair and a tomboyish outlook and attitude about things.  
The other he didn't know so well, a small boy with brown eyes and messy black hair.  
He knew the boy was Misty's friend and he knew him from school but he wouldn't say they were friends.  
Children at that age don't have the drive to be strong and handle things on their own, well at least these kids didn't.  
  
"My Mom's leaving us" he sobbed out.  
  
Misty sat beside him and Ash sat beside her.   
  
"Parents are so stupid" she exclaimed, giving him a sympathetic smile.  
  
"Yeah how's a kid s'posed to enjoy video games and cartoon if their parents are all freaky" Ash added.  
  
What would you guys know?"Richie snapped.  
  
Misty sighed.  
  
"I don't have any parents. Mine died when I just a little kid"  
  
Richie paused, he remembered whenever he went over to her house, he never saw her parents, he saw her sisters but never parents.  
Misty hitched her thumb at Ash.  
  
"And Ash doesn't know what happened to his Dad. He never had one"  
  
Misty shrugged casually .  
  
"See?" she asked.  
  
Richie realised that he had two friends that he could trust and as time went on, they became great friends.   
The divorce settlement came through and he never saw his mother again but he had his friends to fall back on.  
  
  
  
"No dad! This has nothing to do with her" Richie cried at his dad  
  
"Look, go do the shopping. Give me some time to think"  
  
Richie left with a heavy heart when he hard someone else sigh.   
He saw Misty leaning out her window, looking out sadly.  
She looked lonely which didn't altogether surprise Richie.  
Most of her friends knew that she felt lonely at home, she had three sisters but still had no one to talk to to when she was with them.  
  
"Hey Juliet" he cried out at her.  
  
Misty gasped in surprise and looked down at him, a smile spreading across her face.  
  
"Ok that is NOT how Romeo talked to Juliet, you know that, right?" she asked him with a smirk.  
  
"Juliet, remove-eth yonder butt away-eth from thou chambers and get-eth thoust down-eth here" he told her, bowing as he did.  
  
A few moments later, Misty appeared at her front door, arms folded with an amused look on her face.  
  
"Close enough, well for you anyway. So where are we headed?"   
  
"I have to go shopping and you're coming with me"  
  
He walked towards the shopping centre with Misty standing behind him a hand on her hip.  
  
"Hey Misty, would you LIKE to go shopping  
Why yes Richie I would. Nice of you to ask" she said to herself.  
  
Richie grabbed her arm and dragged her after him.  
  
"Lets go oh bearer of the multiple personalities"  
  
"You know Misty, I am an idiot.  
Oh I know Richie" she continued.  
  
"Sometimes red, you worry me"  
  
  
Ash sighed as he rubbed the sleeping Pikachu on his stomach.  
As much as he loved Pikachu, she was just no fun when she slept.  
He sighed and picked up the phone.  
His Mom was so excited about the musical, she hadn't grounded him,  
But having said that he didn't know if his friends were grounded or not.  
He decided to give Misty ring but got Daisy on the other line.  
She, annoyed at Ash calling, told him that Misty was with Richie at the super market.  
  
"Hey Pikachu?" Ash said, shaking the small Pokemon out of her slumber.  
  
She yawned softly and looked at him sleepily.  
  
"We're heading out" he told her with a grin.  
  
  
"Misty what are these?" Richie asked pointing at some fruit.  
  
"Grapefruit" Misty answered, giving them a quick glance before returning to her own task of choosing the right tomatoes.  
  
"Why are they called that, they don't look like grapes?" Richie asked.  
  
He was obviously unused to shopping and found it a new experience but Misty was quite adept in it as she did the shopping in her house.  
  
"Do I look like Mother Nature, how should I know?" Misty asked giving Richie a look. .  
  
"Gotcha" a voice cried, as a pair of arms wrapped around Mistys waist and lifted her off the ground..  
  
Misty let out a shriek and kicked wildly,kicking whoever it was in the shins and kicking him hard.  
  
Ash let out a yowl and dropped Misty on the ground and began hopping around on one leg, cradling his shin somehow.  
  
Misty who was sitting on the floor of the supermarket, looking somewhat dazed looked at Ash, shocked.   
  
"What are you doing?" she demanded.  
  
"I came to hang out with you guys" he answered, still rubbing the bruised shin.  
  
"Oh" was all Misty copuld say , still not bothering to get up from the ground.  
  
She seemed somewhat content on the floor.  
  
"So hows it going?"Ash asked.  
  
"Hey Misty, check this out" Richie called out,not realising that Ash was there.  
  
Richie swung around and held a pair of melons up to his chest and began to dance slowly, wiggling his hips.  
"I'm ready for my close up, Mr Deville" he said in a girlish voice.  
  
Ash laughed while Misty shook her head.  
  
  
"Do you really want me to answer that one?"she asked, turning to Ash.  
  
"Hey how about I help you guys and then we could hang out at my house?"Ash suggested, finally heloing Misty up,who seemed to tire of the novelty of sitting on a supernarket floor.  
  
Misty and Richie exchanged looks and nodded.  
  
Between the three of them, they had the shopping done in a hour and once tht had dropped off the groceries, they were headed over to Ash's house.  
Misty settled onto the bed in Ash's room while Richie sat on the ground beside her.  
Ash had to leave to get something but tossed Misty a game before he left.  
Misty and Richie peered at the game and then look at each and simultaneously excliamed their appreciation of the game.  
  
"Score!"  
  
Ash had gone downstairs to answer the door and he found Tracy standing there, looking miserable.  
  
"Hey man, whats wrong?' Ash asked,stepping aside to let him in.  
  
"I can take her anymore. She's driving me crazy" Tracey cried.  
  
"Who is?"  
  
"Melody!"  
  
"Yeah, whats the deal with her anyway?" Ash asked as he led Trcey upstairs.  
  
Tracey blinked in surpirse when he saw Misty and Richie in Ash's room palying something on the computer.   
Something involving racing and a city with ramps and animals skateboarding over the ramps or something.  
He wasn't paying too much attnetion to it.  
  
"Whoa" Misty and Richie said as they watched one of the animals flying over the ramp and doing an incredible stunt.  
  
"That was awesome" Richie said, in awe.  
  
"Thats what it said" Misty siad proudly as she pointed to the word "Awesome" which had appeared in the top corner of the screen.  
  
Richie threw a glance at Ash and saw Tracey.  
  
"Hey" he said by way of greeting.  
  
Misty looked over and flashed him a quick smile.  
  
"Hi Tracey" she said, with more enthusiasm.  
  
"Melody is my cousin who my Mom and Dad said we could straighten out. See she's a trouble causer and she came to live with us so that we could get to be nto such an annoying brat and so far it aint working" Tracey explained, collapsing onto the bed.  
  
"Thats bites" he heard Misty say to him.  
  
He looked over at them and even though they were both still playing, they were listening and Misty was offering her own style sympathy. He glanced again at the screen and saw this time, they were grinding down the rails of a staircase.  
Whatever it was,Misty appeared to be winning.  
  
"Look why don't you just hang here and forget about her for a while. Richie and Misty are already here but I guess thats pretty obvious.We can call the others around and just hang out. It'll be great,c'mon"Ash said a with a grin.  
  
"Why not, its not like I couldn't do without avoiding my parents or her"  
  
"Great I'll call everyone"  
  
"WOOHOO!" they heard Misty shriek out and Misty jumped up.  
  
"I so want a rematch!" Richie objected.  
  
Misty exxchnaged a look with Pikachu who had sitting on Mistys back during the race and they both grinned.  
  
"You're on, if you think it'll help" she replied, with a smirk..  
  
With that the two started another race, Pikachu telling Misty in its Pika language when to jump, turn, crouch or attack.  
  
Ash called Duplica who agreed and said would bring Snap and Brock found a babysitter for the kids.  
  
Duplica sat on the bed, talking to Snap.  
They had soon become best friends, not as close as Ash and Misty but they were still best friends.  
  
Misty had given palying the game because she became tired of beating Richie who had become resigned to the fact tht he would beat Misty.  
Tracey and Brock were now palying games and Ash and Misty were sitting at a small table playing cards.  
Richie was trying to find somwe music to put on, he found a c.d box with no cover that was obviously a bootleg c.d  
He clucked his tongue but contued searching for a c.d  
Thats when he found one and grinned.  
He dragged Ash over to the c.ds and whsipered something to him.  
Misty was busy watching her hand, looking for her next move when the music began to play.  
Ash and Richie began clicking their fingers to the tune.  
Misty looked at them, eyebros raised.  
They began circling Misty, clicking their fingers.  
  
Never know how much I love you  
Never know how much I care  
But when you put you arms around me  
I get a fever thats so hard to bear  
You give me fever  
  
Misty stood up cautiously, watching them skeptically and walked towards the door but they still followed her, circling her and clicking thier fingers.  
Misty had to laugh and soon began moving her hips to the music.  
  
Fever when you kiss me  
Fever when you hold me tight  
Fever in the morning  
Fever all through the night  
  
The others were watching now, as tht two boys continued clicking their finger and Misty raised arms and began to dance slowly and seductively.  
  
Sun lights up the day time  
Moon lights up the night  
I light up when you call my name  
And you know I'm gonna treat you right  
You give me fever  
  
Misty took one step onto a chair by the table and wriggled her hips and then took another step and then sang out with the drumbeat of the song.  
  
Fever when you kiss me  
Fever when you hold me tight  
Fever in the morning  
Fever all through the night  
  
The clicking of the fingers continued and Brok and Tarcey joined in.  
Misty started to sing , alittle unsure of herself at first but gaining confidence as she went on.  
While she may have been clumsy and awkward with her sisters dances and movements, she seemed perfectly at home doing her own dance and brought another side of her.   
While her friends knew the tough side of Misty and then the sweet side but now she was bringing out this sexy siren type side.  
The way she moved to the music,the wya you could use body language to convey whatever she wanted to say, the looks she could give and above all the the way she sang spelt it out.  
She was meant to perform.  
Of course Ash knew this, he also knew that she didn't want to perform ever.  
The only reason she was doing this was because she trusted her firneds and had really done it without realising it.   
It had come naturally.  
  
Everybody's got the fever  
That is something you all know  
Fever isn't such a new thing  
Fever started long ago  
  
Romeo loved Juliet  
Juliet she felt the same  
When he put his arms around her  
He said "Julie, baby you're my flame  
Now give me fever  
When we kiss it  
fever with thy flame in use  
Fever   
I'm on fire  
Fever  
Yeah I burn for sooth  
  
Captain Smith and Pochahontas had a very mad affair  
When her daddy tried to kill him  
She said Daddy oh don't you dare  
He gives me feevr  
with his kisses  
Fever when he holds me tight  
Fever  
I'm his missus  
Oh daddy won't you treat him right  
Now you've listened to my story  
Here's the point that I have made  
Chicks were born to give you fever  
Be it faranheight or centigrade  
They gave you fever  
When you kiss them  
Fever if you live and learn  
Fever till you sizzle  
What a lovely way to burn  
What a lovely way to burn  
What a lovely way to burn  
What a lovely way to burn.  
  
When Misty finished with her arms in the air and recieved a round of applause.  
She blushed and scrambled off the table.  
The others watched in surprise.  
  
"She's really good" Tracey remarked.  
"Mist, that was incredible" Brock told her as he approched her.  
Misty shrugged, still embarassed.  
"My Mom could sing and dance" she mumbled.  
  
Misty then excused herself and left the room but found herself face to face with Delia.  
Delia smiled at Misty, who she had seen as an honorary daughter.  
  
"That was incredible, sweetheart"  
  
"Yeah but I don't really like to sing that much.I'm not that good" Misty said , avodiding Delia's eyes.  
  
Delia took hold of Mistys chin and looked into her eyes.  
  
"Misty. You are an incredible singer, and one thing I've noticed about you. You do things in your own time and your own way, you don't follow anyones lead.   
Your sisters don't realsie it, they can mirror each other and do their own thing but you have to follow your own intuition.   
And sweetie, thats exactly what you did in there and it worked.   
You were fantastic and I know this musical will bring that out in you."Delia told her, sincerely.  
  
Misty smiled at her and gave her a hug.  
  
"Thanks" she said as she embraced Delia.  
  
Delia smiled and returned the embrace.  
  
"Anytime sweetie" she replied and Misty returned to Ash's room.  
  
To be continued.  
Please read and review.  
Lots of love  
Nibbs 


	7. chapter 7

Hey sorry about the delay.  
Ok the some of characters are mine, well one who I made up myself is but the rest belong to Nintendo  
This story is mine so don't steal it.  
If you want to get in contact with me my email address is  
Doddlebabe@hotmail.com  
Please read and review.  
I hope you enjoy this chapter, I know nothing happens but patience is a virtue so hold tight for a bit.  
  
  
  
Ash raised his body slowly of the ground beside his bed and pressed his foot as lightly as he could against the carpeted floor.   
He continued this, moving stealthily towards the door.  
He held back a laugh and settled for a smirk that had sprawled itself on his face.  
His friends thought that he couldn't be cunning but here he was, outsmarting Misty and Richie who were completely clueless.  
It was going perfectly except for one small detail.  
  
"What are you doing?" Richie asked curiously.  
  
Ash looked to his left and nearly fell over with the shock.  
Misty shook her head and sighed.  
  
"You've got to sneak BEHIND people, not in FRONT of" she said using the kind of voice you'd expect to hear from a mother who was telling her son something that she told him many, many times before.   
  
This tone led Richie to his next question.  
  
"This has happened before, hasn't it?" Richie asked them, amused.  
  
His question was answered by the way Misty rolled her eyes and the way Ash scratched the back of his head sheepishly.  
Misty then turned to Ash with a questioning expression.  
  
"Why were you sneaking around?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah what's up with that?" Richie asked as well.  
  
Ash was beginning to sweat and Richie noticed him edging closer to that bootleg c.d. he had.   
Ash had been acting strangely around that c.d. for some reason.  
  
"I wanted to pee and I didn't want you to know" he answered.  
  
"Ash I know you pee, I know too well" Misty argued  
  
This comment caused Richie to look at Misty somewhat disgusted and curious at the same time.  
Misty caught his glance and looked at him with an all too solemn expression.  
  
"Its really something that was unpleasant for everyone involved and quite frankly, its too painful to talk about" she said softly and then shuddered.  
  
Ash blushed and then faked a yawn.  
  
"You know, I'm tired," he said quickly, changing the subject.   
  
"It is pretty late" Richie agreed.  
  
Misty stood up stretching and yawned.  
  
"Be a gentlemen and escort me home," she said to Richie, swaying slightly from being tired.   
  
"Um depends on whether you're heading the same direction as me" Richie joked.  
  
Misty shot him a glare and Ash shook his head, amused.  
Pikachu stood up on her hind legs and waved at Misty and Richie as they left the room.  
Ash collapsed onto the bed and closed his eyes smiling wistfully.  
  
"She really is something else, isn't she?" he asked Pikachu.  
  
"Yeah I know, I'm not the idiot who won't tell her how I feel about her" Pikachu remarked in Pika language.  
  
"That's a little unfair" Ash objected and as Pikachu was about to debate this, Ash stood and left to show his friends out.  
  
He froze at the door of the stairs when he saw his Mom brushing Mistys' fringe away from her eyes and tucked the stray strands of fiery hair behind Mistys' ears.   
Delia smoothed the fiery and scruffy red hair and then licked her thumb and began scrubbing Richies' cheek.  
Only out of respect did Misty and Richie stay there and endure this.  
  
"Mom!" Ash cried, causing the others to look up.  
  
"What sweetie?" she asked, as she was beginning to pull out a tissue.  
  
Richie saw this and opened the door hurriedly.  
  
"Thanks for having us Mrs Ketchum, we have to go, bye" he said in one breath as he propelled Misty out the door.  
  
Ash and Delia heard Mistys' "Thanks you" being called as she was being pushed down the footpath and in the direction of her home.  
Ash shook his head and walked down to stairs and fell into the sofa.  
Delia came to sit next to him.  
  
"Did you have a good time, sweetie?" she asked, apparently forgetting that she was supposed to be mad at Ash for getting in trouble at school.  
  
"Yeah I had a great time" Ash told her, with as much enthusiasm as he could muster with the amount of energy he had.  
  
"That's good, you're still doing twice the chores you do around here"  
  
"Yeah" Ash mumbled.  
  
"And an allowance cut"  
  
"Yeah yeah yeah"  
  
Ash closed his eyes until he snapped his eyes back open upon the fell of wet cloth rubbing off his face.  
  
"Mom" he snapped as Delia withdrew the hanky hastily.  
  
"Sweetie, you've got a little...."  
  
She scrubbed the tissue off his face again and Ash tried to swat it away.  
Delia only pulled the tissue away when she felt his face was sufficiently clean.  
She smiled when she saw the sulky expression Ash had.   
She pinched his cheeks affectionately and giggled when Ashs' sulky face grew ever sulkier.  
She wrapped her arm around his shoulders and gave him a quick hug.   
  
Misty and Richie arrived back at their respective homes. They were dismayed to find that both houses and the lights on inside.  
  
"Guess they were waiting up" Misty murmured.  
  
"I better go" Richie said, his tone showed betraying his fear of the impending doom that was about to befall him.  
  
  
When Misty came home, it was very different.  
  
Misty found her sisters in the small dance studio that they had set up, along with Violet and Lily.  
  
"No, it should be, we wiggle the hips side-step, push hears hands out and draw them back over out chests " Daisy said, doing each action as she spoke them.  
  
"Sure if we wanna go back in time and do the Macarana" Violet snorted.  
  
"We should go straight to the ground for the legs part after the hip wiggle"  
  
"I like the leg part" a male voice piped up.  
  
Misty who was leaning back on her left leg and had her arms folded turned to her right and looked down.   
  
Her gaze fell upon a male, her sisters' age sitting down on the floor, arms resting on his legs.  
He was gorgeous with his scruffy auburn hair and his big bright green eyes with a killer smile.  
His fine masculine physique that showed no matter what he wore   
Today it definitely did.  
He was wearing a white sleeveless tee shirt and an old pair of jeans.   
  
"Ugh, who asked you, Dave?" Lily demanded.  
  
Dave clamped his mouth shut.  
Dave had become enamoured with Mistys' sisters when they were at school and since then he had all but insisted that he become the hired help.  
He was a great musician and always encouraged Misty with her singing though she rarely did.  
When he heard her though, he was amazed.  
His wages weren't good and he had to put up with Mistys' sisters,   
Though he still cared for them deeply, he had learned certain things about them.  
He had learned how difficult they were and how self centred they could be, he'd still jump at the chance to date one but he was happy as well being their friends.  
  
"Misty whattya think?" Daisy asked and Misty found three intense stares burning through her.  
  
"I Um..well.. I think none of them are without their charms" she began hoping to bluff her way through them.   
  
"She needs to see them again to make up her mind" Dave filled in.  
  
Her sisters exchanged looks and sighed.  
  
"Fine Misty go sit next to Dave and after you watch us, tell us what you think" Lily ordered.  
  
Misty nodded and scurried over to the spot on the floor next to Dave.  
Once she made herself comfortable, as comfortable as one can be sitting on the wooden floor of a dancing studio she nudged Dave.  
  
"Thank you. I felt like I was being fed to the piranhas " she said, a small smirk playing across her pretty face.  
  
"Anytime"  
  
When Dave had found out that Mistys' sisters weren't what he thought they were, he had been upset but he had also discovered that their little sister wasn't what he expected either and he found himself liking the young redhead.  
He had discovered a fast friend in Misty and the two joked and talked and generally enjoyed spending time together.   
They also had someone else to stick up for them of just to sympathise when Daisy or Lily or Violet was yelling at either of them.  
Dave was kind of like an honorary brother and he saw Misty was his own little sister.   
Misty was that kind of person, you'd instantly take to her like she were a member of your family  
All her friends found her to be like a sister, it was just who she was.  
They got on far better with each other than either did with Violet, Lily or Daisy.  
  
  
"How long have you been here?" Misty asked.  
  
"Four hours" Dave said biting his lip and nodding his head.  
  
Misty gasped and threw a glance towards her sisters who were in the middle of a fancy move.  
  
"Ouch. Your butt must be .... how long ago was it that you lost feeling in your butt?" she asked.  
  
"I'll show you," he said as he pushed himself up off the ground.  
  
"Ohh dude, I never signed up for you wagging your butt in my face" Misty objected.  
  
"I don't want you to look at my butt, I want you to touch it" he answered but paused.  
  
He turned around slowly and saw the look Misty gave him, eyebrow raised and wearing a dubious expression.  
  
"That didn't really come out right" he began but Misty had begun to smirk.  
  
"Oh I think it did"  
  
"You know, it was one those things that sounded so much better in my head"  
  
"How could that ever sound good, even in your head?"   
  
" I reserve the right to remain silent"  
  
"Misty!" Daisy shrill voice rang out.  
  
Mistys' head jerked up and she resembled a rabbit caught in the headlights of a lorry.   
She stood up a little cautiously  
  
"Yes?" she asked meekly.  
  
"Were you paying attention?" Lily demanded.  
  
"As long as there are no follow on questions.. yes, yes I was" Misty replied.  
  
Violet grabbed her wrist and whipped her towards them.   
Misty stumbled a little and smiled nervously at her sisters.  
  
"C'mon try this routine with us" Violet ordered and then she spun Misty around.  
  
When Misty did stop spinning she held her head for a second when Daisy grabbed her again and tried a more complex move.  
Dave shut his eyes and waited for the crash.  
When he did dare to open one eye, he found Misty lying face flat on the ground, her rear sticking up the air and a dazed expression on her face.  
  
Daisy gasped and Lily bit her lip.  
  
"Yeah we never did teach her swing dancing," Violet remarked, biting a nail.  
  
Misty turned her head and glared at her sisters while Dave struggled to keep a straight face.  
  
"C'mon you two, we have to work on this" Lily barked.  
  
"Misty and Dave both looked at them shocked.  
  
"Us TWO?"  
  
  
  
Monday Morning  
  
Giselle walked into school outwardly looking perfect but inwardly upset.   
She had a fight with Andrea and her dad didn't notice her at all.   
Her long chestnut hair was held back in a loose plait with free strands escaping onto her face.   
Her face was perfectly made up, pink lip-gloss and grey eye shadow and she was wearing one her favourite tops, a white sleeveless butterfly top with the butterfree in gold glitter with a black pleated skirt.   
She was dressed in her favourite clothes and she knew that every female in the vicinity was jealous of her and were trying to be her friend and she knew every male thought she was the prettiest girl in school but none of them understood her.   
She knew it was a cliché, the poor little rich girl who had problems because her daddy doesn't pay her any attention what they didn't know that her Aunt Andrea was her step Mom.   
Her dad being the great guy he was married his wife's sister after her mom left. Giselle hated it and she hated going home.   
She walked on, a bright smile spread across her face but from the corner of her eye she saw a group of that she envied but would never admit it..   
  
Misty was sitting on a windowsill with a magazine and Duplica was leaning against the window looking at the magazine.   
She saw Ash and Richie approaching them and she watched as they began to discuss whatever he saw next in the magazine.  
  
"Damnit, Martians are invading and they're been infiltrating the human race by use of pancakes" Ash read from the magazine.  
  
"Knew it!" Duplica remarked with a grin.  
  
"Misty where did you find this magazine?" Richie asked as he read another title.  
  
"I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you"   
  
Misty replied as she flicked through some more pages.  
  
"Woman attacked by a vampire Meowth statue... hmm I can understand why that might be a problem" she murmured.  
  
"Hey check it out, they're looking for free lance photographers," Ash said pointing at a notice at the bottom of the page.  
  
"Hey Snap, maybe you should apply" Duplica joked as Snap stopped beside them.  
  
"Hey my uncle works for magazines like these. Show some respect" Ash snapped them.  
  
The group went quiet except for Misty who shot Ash an exasperated look.  
  
"You don't HAVE an uncle" she objected.  
  
"True but..."   
  
He was cut off when Misty hopped off the windowsill and gave him a friendly shove.  
  
"C'mon lets get to class." she said smiling at him.  
  
As they walked down to class, Richie, Snap, Duplica and Giselle could hear them.  
  
"Are you sure I don't have an uncle?"  
  
"Uh huh and remember Ash, I'm Misty, You're Ash, those people back there are our friends and that lady who lives at your house is your mother. Everything you need to know is sewn into your underwear" she taunted as she walked down the hall.  
  
Ash looked thoughtful and grabbed Misty in a headlock.  
  
"Nuggie" he cried as delivered the promised nuggie.  
  
He let go of Misty who looked at him shocked and then tore after him, messing up her already scruffied up hair further.  
  
Giselle heard the other three burst out laughing and couldn't resist a giggle.  
She herself had never got a nuggie but then she never had as close a friend as Ash or Misty.   
Giselle tossed her head back and walked on, noticing how none of them took any notice of her.   
They never did, they might have when they were all younger but since then, they had learned to block out what she did or said.   
She couldn't really blame them, if someone ignored your very existence, you'd learn to block them out as well.   
Still though it felt weird.   
She never really noticed how they were the only ones who never watched her as she walked by or looked up when they heard her speak or generally praise her as the queen of the school. But then they were the only people who might actually know her pain and might be able to help her instead of cooing over what she was wearing.   
She didn't need crowds of people telling her how great she was; she needed friends who would take the good with bad  
She didn't now too much about the small group of friends.   
But she did know were good friends.  
She shook her head and continued walking.   
She paused at a poster, an after school activity was what she need and she knew which one  
She bumped into a boy who was looking quite worried.  
Brock paused when he realised who had just bumped into.   
Giselle the most popular, pretty, talented, amazing girl in school.  
  
"Hi" he said his voice going dreamy.  
  
Giselle knew this guy, they had been in the same class for ages and she knew that he had something weird going on with his family but she had never stopped to ask.  
  
"How's your family?' she asked, decide to give it a try.  
  
Brock looked at her surprised and his dreamy expression changed to a serious expression. She guessed that maybe this subject was a solemn one.  
  
"Their at school right now but when they get home I'll have to go home and check on Jodies' temperature, make sure its nothing that I would have to bring the kid to the doctor over" he told her.  
  
Giselle let out a laugh.  
  
"Jeez Brock, what kind of parents leave their eldest son take care of all the kids?" she asked.  
  
Brocks' face clouded over and he walked off.   
  
"Nice going princess" Misty remarked sarcastically as she passed by Giselle into the class.  
  
Giselle was genuinely puzzled as to what she had said.   
Ash stood next to her and whispered to her.  
  
"His dad ...disappeared and his Mom died a short while afterwards because she couldn't cope minding the twenty kids" Ash told her as he followed Misty.  
  
Misty gave Giselle a look that made her feel so small.   
Giselle tried to shake it off but no one ever made her feel small.   
She hated the way Misty saw through her, she didn't know the reason being was that Mistys' sisters were a lot like Giselle so Misty really wasn't impressed by Giselle and if you're not being impressed by her, you're just seeing through her.   
Giselle was all a front, if you saw past her front, you saw every fault and insecurity.   
Giselle saw Brock sitting down and she moved down the class, people all cleared the way like she was a princess.   
Brock looked up and she smiled at him.  
  
"Mind if I sit next to you, Brock?" she asked politely and flashed him a bright friendly smile.   
  
Brock was too dazed by her smile to reply so she sat down and flipped open her book. She looked at Brock.  
  
"You were going to keep me waiting was too long" she asked, tauntingly.   
  
She smiled and began to talk to him.   
  
"That was an actually nice thing of Giselle to do, weird" Ash remarked.  
  
"Please there's probably some hidden reason" Misty answered, sceptically.  
  
"Hey you know, its been a long time since YOU'VE done something nice for someone" he remarked.  
  
"Hey I do something nice for someone everyday" she told him looking over the book open on her desk.  
  
"Oh yeah?" he asked.  
  
"Sure" she said and looked at him with a serious expression. " I stop myself killing you everyday" she replied.   
  
Ash looked at her surprised then began to chuckle.   
Misty couldn't keep her face straight any longer and she a smile spread across it and she began to laugh herself a little.  
  
He smiled remembering the first time he realised that he liked her as more of a friend.  
It had happened on a really long journey.   
Delia was going to see some flower show up the country and she was taking Ash with her.   
  
Professor Oak was coming as well to investigate a plant that was supposed to have some healing properties.   
Delia had told Ash that he could invite a friend and Misty had been first pick.  
Ash remembered standing in the boring train station for about a half an hour, his Mom always had to be early when he heard a female voice.   
  
He had become increasingly more happy just hearing the voice and his whole face lit up when he saw Misty running towards them, her backpack bouncing as she moved.  
Back then she was tomboy but still looked like a pretty nine-year-old girl.   
She was wearing a long sleeved white tee shirt underneath a yellow tee shirt and she wore a pair of jeans.  
Her fiery red hair bounced around in the two plaits she wore and while there was still another twenty minutes before their train arrived the two kids ran around exploring hyperactively.  
  
They were probably about the liveliest thing in the station as they were bright and bubbly and everyone else was tired.   
It was five in the morning.  
They weren't a lot of people there but most of whom were, smiled amused at Ash and Misty as they raced around.  
Some even envied the woman who called out to them and who had the pleasure of their happy go lucky joy for however long their journey would be.  
Others pitied the woman for having to take care of two hyperactive nine-year-olds for that long.  
  
Delia and Professor Sam Oak watched as the kids scrambled onto the train evidently not caring about the duration of the journey, just delighted at the idea of being in each others company for that long.  
  
  
A few hours later  
The two nine yr. olds had been playing cards for quite some time and showed no sign of any loss of energy  
They had fascinated Delia, they had been on a train for three hours and they had been up since five and they were still as hyper as when they had met each other at the train station.  
  
"Excuse me, sorry, pardon us" two voices apologised as two teens, about seventeen or eighteen made their way up the crowded train, hoping to find some empty seats.  
  
"Hey you can sit next to us" a young boy's voice suggested.  
  
The male teen looked down and saw small boy with brown eyes looking up at him with a friendly grin.   
A small redheaded girl looked up at them more curiously but with a friendly smile as well.  
Their table was piled up with junk food, cards and some games and some books, typical kids' stuff.  
The female teen turned to the woman and man sitting in the two seater behind the two kids, guessing they were responsible for the kids.  
  
"Would it be ok, ma'am?" she asked politely knowing that some parents would be worried about this.  
  
"Please go ahead" the woman insisted with a bright smile similar to Ash's smile.  
  
The girl saw this and made the link between Delia and Ash but the small redhead resembled neither the brown haired woman nor the white haired man.  
The guy sat down and looked at both kids a little nervously.  
He wasn't sure how you'd talk to kids.  
  
"That's Ash and that's Ash's Mom and that's professor Oak" Misty explained pointing at each person corresponding to their names.  
  
"And what's your name?" the girl asked settling down into the seat opposite the teenaged boy she was with.  
  
Misty and Ash sat opposite each other and so the two teens did the same.  
The boy sat next to Misty and the girl sat next to Ash.  
  
"My name is of no consequence" Misty replied with a wink.  
  
"Her name is Misty" Ash filled in shaking his head at Misty mockingly.  
  
"Thats a pretty name" the girl said smiling at Misty who shrugged,evidently her name didn't mean that much to her.   
  
"You guys wanna play cards?" Misty offered, pointing at the hand of cards they each had.  
  
"Sure" the boy said with a grin.  
  
It seemed that these two kids were like him and Reese.  
Reese, he glanced at his girlfriend and his best friend with long chestnut locks of hair alive with the blue strands of hair streaking down her hair and her sweet baby blue eyes.  
  
"Sure, hey we can teach a game we know" Reese said with a wink.  
  
She had taken an instant liking to the two young children.   
She exchanged a knowing smile with hey boyfriend Oz, the kids acted like she and Oz did.  
They'd probably end up like her and Oz as well.  
It also made her realise that she and Oz acted like a couple of nine-yr. olds and yet the thought didn't bother her.   
It amused her.  
After a half an hour Ash was casting suspicious looks at Misty.  
  
"They're making this is up" he told her.  
  
Reese laughed.  
  
"Everyone says that when they play this game" she remarked.  
  
"Hmm wonder why" Misty joked.  
  
"I put down the seven of spades"  
  
"Hey cheat" Ash cried at Reese.  
  
"No I'm not"  
  
"Do you have the seven of spades?" Misty asked.  
  
Ash looked a bit sheepish as he shook his head.  
  
"And you have to take all the cards put down" Oz told him.  
  
Ash grumbled but he grabbed all the cards piled up on the table.  
  
They continued playing when Ash turned on Oz.  
  
"Two of clubs"  
  
"You're cheating"  
  
"Nope, sorry dude "  
  
Ash grumbled again but took the cards.  
  
"Great you're making his paranoia worse with this game" Misty remarked sarcastically.  
  
"Its you, you've been cheating all along," Ash cried pointing at Misty.  
  
"I didn't even put a card down yet!" Misty objected.  
  
"Yeah but you're cheating! I can see it "  
  
Misty shook her head and pushed the pile of cards towards Ash.  
Ash took them and at this stage had most of the deck of cards.   
  
"That's a lotta cards you got there, slugger" Oz remarked with a grin.  
  
"He wants all the cards for himself so he can play his own game of card" Misty replied.  
  
Oz and Reese laughed at the pair of kids as this carry on continued for another hour when the train came to stop at the next station when Oz and Reese stood up.  
  
"Well kids, it's been fun," Oz said.  
  
"Keep practising, the game you two. You'll get good at it   
  
"Uh huh" Misty and Ash said at the same time with doubtful expressions.  
  
"They're great kids" Reese told Delia with a smile.  
  
"Tell me that again in another few hours" Delia said with a weak tired smile.  
  
Misty and Ash waved at them both until the train pulled out of the station when Misty yawned and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.  
Ash noticed and looked at her curiously.  
  
"You tired?"  
  
"A little" she lied, yawning again.  
  
She stood up a little shakily and walked over to the empty seat next to Ash.  
She nestled down into, tucking her legs up on resting her head on Ash's shoulder.  
Ash felt a strange tingling; he felt her warmth mixing with his own creating warm glowing warmth but he felt all snugly.  
He looked down at Misty who was drifted off into a deep slumber.  
Did she know she was kinda pretty sometimes?  
Or did she know that her hair was nice?  
These sorts of questions ran through the young boys' mind and he found himself liking the red head in a different.  
Too young to really understand it, he thought maybe he had gone to the next level of friendship.  
Maybe their friendship evolves like a Pokemon would. Either way he liked it. He closed his eyes and rested his own head on the mop of bright red hair.  
  
"Ash?" Misty asked, waving her hands in front of his face.  
  
Ash blinks and looked at Misty surprised and dazed.   
  
"What are you thinking of now?" she asked with a sigh.  
  
"Us" Ash answered sounding so genuine and innocent about it, Misty cocked her head at him and gave him a lopsided smile.  
  
"What about us?" she asked.  
  
"You know stuff" he answered beginning to tune out of the conversation.  
  
(I wonder, Ash. Do you think the same things I do?} Misty thought looking at Ash bemused.  
  
Mistys' thoughts were interrupted by the untimely arrival of their teacher.  
  
  
To be continued  
  
Ok sorry about the delay and the next chapter will be about the auditions so please be patient.  
Please read and review.  
I hope you enjoyed it.  
Lots of Love  
Nibbs 


	8. Chapter 8

Ok I don't own any of the characters but I do own the story so don't steal it. I am soooooooooooooo sorry about the delay and I promise to have the next chapter out soon, like in a day or two.  
If you want to get in contact with me its  
Doddlebabe@hotmail.com   
Hope you enjoy it.  
Please read and review.  
  
  
  
Misty's head jerked up when she heard the bell, the final bell of the day.   
Its sound bounced off every surface off every available surface and slicing through her brain.  
Normally the final bell gave her heart a little kick-start but not today.  
Not today on her day of reckoning.  
Today is signalled the beginning of her nightmare.  
That nightmare was called the school musical.  
Ash groaned and began hitting his head off the desk repeatedly.  
  
"As fun as that looks, we gotta get a move on" Misty began as she came to stand besides Ash who was slumped against his desk hitting his head of the desk.  
  
Misty couldn't help but smile when Ash lifted his head up and a sheet had attached itself to his forehead.  
  
She whipped the page off, startling Ash  
  
Raising his big brown eyes to her, watching as she pulled her bag on over her shoulder, the white sleeves of her jacket sliding up to her elbow then falling down to her hands.  
Ash began to study the jacket.  
Misty always wore it; it was her jacket and whenever she wore a jacket that was the one she wore.  
It was a full length white woollen jacket with loose sleeves and a hood, it was a zip up but he never saw her zip it up.  
The white wool made her red hair look even brighter and livelier, it brought out the silky smoothness of her skin and the creamy complexion of it and her rich see greens eyes seem deeper and more mesmerising, if that was possible.  
In his opinion anyway  
He fumbled around in his backpack and found the bootleg c.d. he kept in his bag.  
It may have seemed like a cheap rip off to anyone else but this c.d. held a lot of sentiment and it meant a lot to him.  
  
"Let's go make some magic, people" Duplica cheered, walking into the vacant class.  
  
She paused when she saw the looks Ash and Misty were both giving her.  
  
"Some of us aren't lucky enough to actually get a punishment of something we were intending on doing anyway" Richie remarked as he followed Duplica in.  
  
"What?" Misty, Duplica and Ash all asked in unison, giving him questioning looks.  
  
"Oh don't argue" Richie told them strictly.   
  
"Then don't speak" Duplica shot back.  
  
"Oh lets get going on anyway, I'm sure there's a lot of things in this place just waiting to clung to my forehead" Ash replied  
  
This time it was Richie and Duplica giving puzzled looks to one another.  
Misty giggled and headed out the door.  
  
"Hey guys" Brock called out coming up behind Misty.  
  
Snap was with him and he froze lost in a dream  
As if in slow motion, Misty turned around, her red hair fluttering as she did so and he jacket flapped.  
She reminded Snap of an angel.  
While Snap lost himself in a dream world Misty put her hands on her hips.  
  
"I'm not even one guy.... singular.   
How did you come with me being a lot of guys?   
I mean I wanna hear the mathematics behind this one equation"  
  
Brock sighed realising that Misty wasn't gonna let him get out this one.  
  
"Hey howzabout I give you a lollipop" he responded, using the same psychology that he used on his little brothers and sisters.  
  
He pulled out a large orange lollipop from his backpack.  
  
"Brock?" Misty asked, folding her arms and narrowing her eyes at him.   
  
"Ok, ok I'll keep it " Brock said in defeat.  
  
"No! No, I do want it" Misty cried, looking like a small dejected child with a sad expression and her eyes filled with worry that she may lose it. .  
  
"Ok here you go," he said handing her the lollipop.  
  
"Yay!" Misty cheered as she ripped the wrapping off it and popped it into her mouth.  
  
Brock grinned surprised and amused and he patted Misty on the head as she giggled.   
  
"I think I may have found a weapon against you," he said in a voice used to talking to pets or small children.  
  
Misty glared at him, her expression quickly transforming into a snarl and a low yet threatening growl emerged from her.  
  
"Ok, ok keep it. I'll get you more, just don't hurt me" Brock cried.  
  
Misty kept her defences up, making sure he wasn't going to try anything but then smiled when she realised he wouldn't.  
  
"I'd hafta be a damn fool to take her on, specially when I've given her sugar" Brock said to no one in particular.  
  
"You'd give a nutcase like Misty sugar? Dude you have just signed the universe's death warrant" Richie cried, panicking.  
  
"Hey a lollipop" Ash cried when he saw Misty.  
  
Brock and Richie shuddered when they heard the low menacing growl again.  
  
"Ash, let her keep the lollipop. We don't even wanna try and take on Misty when she's in a good mood but you wanna try it when she's in a bad mood, has had sugar and would be suffering withdrawal?"  
  
Ash backed off seeing the look on Misty's face.  
  
"Yeah I think I'm gonna let her keep the lollipop" Ash decided aloud.  
  
Misty's face softened and she smiled again and began humming as she continued to enjoy her lollipop.  
She skipped off towards the theatre that had built to the side the school.  
Duplica caught up with the gang.  
  
"Hey guys" she said cheerfully.  
  
"Careful, last time I said that, it ended in disaster" Brock remarked.  
  
"You ok, Snap?" she asked looking at Snap, tilting her head curiously.  
  
Inside she was hoping against hope that interacting with Misty didn't cause the dreamy look.  
Snap let out a dreamy sigh and walked down the hall as if on air.  
The others watched him, puzzled.  
  
"That's not normal" Ash commented.  
  
"I don't think we're really too concerned about being normal" Brock said with a laugh.  
  
"You know, guys are crazy. You're just crazy idiots" Duplica snapped and stalked down the hall towards the theatre.  
  
This left Brock, Ash and Richie standing in the hall in confused silence.  
  
"You guys saw and heard that too, right?' Richie asked sounding a little concerned.  
  
Ash and Brock exchanged scheming looks and looked at him innocently.  
  
"Saw what?"  
  
"I didn't hear them say anything unusual"  
  
"Misty had a lollipop and Duplica called us crazy idiots" Richie protested.  
  
Ash and Brock turned to each other with mock confused and worried expressions then turned back to Richie.  
  
"That never happened, Misty walked down to the hall humming and Duplica said "See ya" and went away"  
  
Richie was considerably worried now and he looked down, thinking over these new facts brought to light.  
  
"But Misty never hums, and she rarely ever sings, only when she's around.." he trailed off when the sound of Brock and Ash's laughter filled the air.  
  
He looked up and the other two were in hysterical laughter.  
They walked off down the hall towards the theatre, still laughing.  
  
"That's not funny," Richie yelled after them but chased after them anyway.  
  
Ash and Brock were so busy laughing and talking that when they pushed open the doors of the theatre they never looked ahead and they crashed into Misty, Duplica and Snap.  
Richie walked in and paused.  
  
"We were kind of expecting the drama teacher or any teacher or even a janitor" Duplica remarked as they looked at the rows of completely empty seats.  
  
Something burst though the doors and shoved past them with an apology,   
The sudden force of the movement caused them to lose their balance.  
  
"HEY WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!!!!!!!!" Misty yelled at the stranger.  
  
The stranger turned around and saw a redhead who had fallen back into a chair, her legs dangling over the armrest, looking very annoyed.  
He approached the small group, a couple of them had been knocked back into some chairs and the others had just fallen on their butts.  
  
"Are you roaring at me?" he asked in a low calm voice.  
  
Misty looked him in the face and realised that he was in fact the drama teacher.  
  
"Well I was but I'm not at the moment" she replied.  
  
"Hmm you have a certain fiery charm to you, do you know that?"  
  
"No I wasn't aware" Misty grumbled as she pulled herself out of the chair and straightened herself up.  
  
"And I know you've worked in the theatre before. You have such a performers vibe about you, possible linked with the fire in the belly attitude."  
  
"I never worked in theatre, that would be my sisters, not me" Misty barked at him.  
  
"Ooh so passionate, you must be in the play, tell me have you ever considered acting?"  
  
The others kept quiet, watching and praying that Misty wouldn't land herself in anything too messy.   
They had given up praying that she wouldn't land herself in any trouble  
With all the qualities that the drama teacher had noticed about Misty as well as her big mouth and they way she said things before thinking pretty much guaranteed trouble.   
They just prayed that it wouldn't be too much trouble for her to handle.  
  
"Yeah I consider acting to be a load of oomph" Duplica's hand clamped onto Misty's face, preventing the ending for that sentence.  
She grinned sheepishly up at the drama teacher.  
  
"Hmm good timing, lemme guess... a comedian?" he asked Duplica.  
  
"Yes actually," Duplica, said, beaming.   
  
"And I assume that all of you besides spunky are going to audition?" he asked.  
  
Ash and Snap shook their heads.  
  
"Heh, why not, the female population of this school should not be deprived of my ability" Brock announced.  
  
"I'd hit him if he hadn't given me a lollipop" Misty remarked, looking down at the orange lollipop in her hand.  
  
"Then truly his plan worked and everything makes sense again" Duplica joked.  
  
Brock pulled out a green lollipop and handed it to Misty.  
  
"Protection money" he told her.  
  
"Do I have to protect you from me or from others?" Misty asked.  
  
"Both!"  
  
"Hey as long as you keep the pops flowing"  
  
"Ok so I have two auditionees and how about you?" he asked pointing at Richie.  
  
"I may as well" Richie shrugged casually.  
  
"Hmm and you three have no intention of auditioning?" he asked Misty, Ash and Snap.  
  
"Well I'm good at photography so I could work on" Snap began but was cut off.  
  
"You will work on sets and lighting" the drama teacher announced.  
  
"But I." Snap began to protest but was cut off again.  
  
"Tell it to my personal assistant" the drama teacher, Mr Crefell, said.  
  
The group went silent, waiting for this personal assistant to appear or at least to be elaborated upon.  
The silence continued for a few more awkward confused moments.  
  
"Misty!" Mr Crefell hissed.  
  
Misty looked at him and he nodded at Snap.  
  
"What? I'm the personal assistant?" she asked confused and exasperated.  
  
"Yes now get to it" he told her, shoving a green clear plastic clipboard into her hands, it had sheets clipped into it and a penholder at the side.  
  
"Sir I really" Snap began but was hushed.  
  
Mr Crefell pointed at Misty who sighed.  
Snap also let out a sigh and looked at Misty.  
  
"I don't want to do those jobs" he told her.   
  
Misty turned around and looked at the drama teacher who, though he was only about a foot away, pretended that he couldn't hear them speaking.  
  
"He doesn't want to do this" she told him flatly.  
  
"But he must!" the drama teacher exclaimed.  
  
Misty turned around.   
It was clear from her expression that she realised the idiocy of playing messenger between two people who were practically beside each other.  
  
"But you must" she told Snap but with much less enthusiasm.  
  
Ash sniggered but swallowed down his laughter when he saw Mr Crefell fix his gaze onto Ash.  
  
"And what shall you do?" he enquired.  
  
"Um, theatre critic" Ash suggested hopefully.  
  
"I hear you're quite good with Pokemon" Mr Crefell continued, thoughtfully.  
  
Misty slapped her forehead while Brock shook his head sadly; both aware of the Pandora's box of bragging that Mr Crefell had unwillingly opened up.  
Ash stood up straighter and took an air of arrogance.  
  
"You kidding me? I'm the best Pokemon trainer you're ever gonna lay your eyes on" Ash bragged.  
  
"Hey Pikachu, c'mon" he called and the others watched as Ash's bag began to squirm and out burst the small yellow electric mouse.  
  
Pikachu leapt up onto Ash's shoulder and nuzzled Ash in the head.  
Ash grinned and scratched Pikachu on the head.  
Misty giggled and tickled Pikachu's chin.  
Pikachu relished in the attention.  
The drama teacher studied the three, never had he seen two people with so much fire and passion towards each other and it was because of that there was such incredible chemistry.  
He was just cursing Ash's empathy Misty's hatred towards the theatre.  
They would be such firecrackers in the play.  
  
"Well I'm afraid that the auditions don't begin till four so you must wait around.  
Misty, please prepare the appropriate material for the auditions"  
  
Misty was about to question this but Mr Crefell drifted off somewhere else.  
Misty trudged down towards the stage and hopped up.   
Duplica wandered around the stage exploring and Ash joined her.  
Brock and Richie collapsed into the two chairs directly in front of Misty in the front row.  
Snap stood still, impressed by the size of their theatre, he guessed that the drama section of the school was very important.  
Duplica came over to Misty and seated herself besides her.  
Misty was tapping her pen off the clipboard trying to come up with what was deemed  
" The appropriate material"  
Ash looked over her shoulder and Duplica peered down at the sheet.  
They started coming up with suggestions and the sheets were being titled.  
  
"For the last time Brock, asking for the girls numbers is ok on the application form but we can't ask if they're single" Misty cried at him frustrated.  
  
"But we need to know if they have any previous commitments so that we can know if they'll be on call whenever we need them and not with a boyfriend" Brock protested weakly.  
  
Misty gave him a long angry stare and Brock fidgeted in his bag.  
  
"Lollipop?" he offered meekly.  
  
"Yeah ok" Misty said casually and shrugged.  
  
She popped the lollipop in her mouth.  
  
"So you'll ask them if they're single?" Brock asked hopefully.  
  
"Nope"  
  
The doors swept open and the group looked towards the entrance.  
Giselle stood at the entrance, the light from outside shining against her giving her an angelic, heavenly look.  
Brock's face softened and soon he wore a goofy grin.  
Ash waved his hand in front of Brock's face but nothing could tear Brock's eyes away from Giselle as she made her way down the steps, elegantly as always.  
Giselle approached them with a smirk.  
  
"You're auditioning?" she asked with a sneer.  
  
"And what of it?" Misty asked standing up.  
  
Duplica remained seated and the others turned to look at Giselle.  
  
"Sure, I just can't wait to see you guys make absolute idiots of yourself. As long as you don't mess up my audition"  
  
"No I think you can do that just fine by yourself" Duplica observed.  
  
"Buh Bye losers" she called over her shoulders.  
  
Misty was about to leap up and charge after her when Duplica grabbed onto her in an attempt to stop Misty.   
The sudden movement knocked them both back.  
  
"Ohh come on. This too suhh -weeeet" Rudy's annoying voice declared.  
  
Duplica fell forward and ended up lying on Misty who was knocked back on her back.  
Their legs were tangle in each other's and the overall appearance was very....questionable.  
  
"Why don't you back off?" Ash growled.  
  
"Hey, just cause you never made a move doesn't mean that no one can ever even look at her.  
You've been around a girl like that for this long and you never did anything, well dude you deserve for someone else to go out with her and for you to end up with someone not quite as hot"  
  
"Look why don't you just get lost?" Brock warned.  
  
Rudy walked away and began talking to Giselle but kept shooting Misty sidelong glances.  
  
Misty and Duplica untangled themselves and sat up.  
  
"Hey what did I miss?" she asked.  
  
Ash stalked away angered by Rudy.   
Brock and Richie followed him leaving the two girls by themselves up ion the stage looking confused.  
  
"Apparently something big" Duplica said, surprised.  
  
Students began filling up the theatre occupying seats and couple taking to the stage.  
  
Misty, Duplica and Snap all sat on the stage talking when they saw a familiar face.  
A familiar face laden with depression.  
Tracey approached them and flopped onto the stage next to them, head cast down.  
He stayed like this for a few moments.  
  
"If this guy says hello, I think I'm gonna kill myself" Duplica whispered to Misty.  
  
"You ok, Trace?" Misty asked, cautiously.  
  
Tracey grabbed Misty in a bear hug.  
  
"Its awful, I just can't stand her anymore" he wailed.  
  
Misty looked towards Melody who was talking with Giselle.  
She shuddered imagining the reign of terror that those two could inflict on the world.  
  
"Lets just hope that they never realise their true evil powers and how powerful they are together" she joked half-heartedly.  
  
She looked up when she saw someone she didn't recognise enter the hall.  
This new girl paused and stopped one of the students passing by.   
She said something to them and they nodded and pointed in the direction of Misty, Duplica, Snap and Tracey.  
The girl approached them giving them a chance to look at her.  
She was tall and slim with waist long navy hair that went straight down then spiked up at the bottom.   
She was wearing a very dark pair of jeans and a red tight tee shirt.  
The tee shirt had elbow length sleeves with a white stripe on each sleeve.  
Around her neck she wore her pokephone type thing and a red bandanna with a white pokeball covered the top of her hand.  
Three bangs of navy hair hung around her face and one in the middle of her forehead and she had bright hazel eyes.  
  
"Um hi" she said nervously.  
  
"Hi" Misty and Duplica said in unison.  
  
Tracey who was still in the depths of depression didn't even raise his head to look at the girl; instead he mumbled a quick hello  
  
Snap also greeted the girl cheerfully but it was obvious that he cared more about the two girls he was sitting next to.  
  
"Can we help you with something?" Misty asked the new girl.  
  
"Yeah I'm looking for a girl named Misty? Do you know where I can find her? I was told that she's the one you go to about trying out for the musical," the girl said shyly.  
  
It was obvious that she was nervous about approaching two new girls on what seemed to be her first day.  
  
"Yeah but you might wanna avoid her. She's real trouble-causer. She skips classes so she roams the halls looking for fights and getting herself drunk before she hotwires cars and goes for joyrides" Duplica told the girl.  
  
The girl looked shocked and frightened discouraged about finding this delinquent and having to speak to her.  
  
"Yeah that's enough outta you" Misty said hitting Duplica on the head with her clipboard. "Jeez with friends like you, who needs...friends like you?" she asked the green haired who was rubbing her head.  
  
Misty then turned to the blue haired girl who looked puzzled.  
  
"Don't listen to Duplica, she's a few sandwiches short of a picnic. I'm Misty and I didn't any of the stuff she said in fact I'm quite distinguished"  
  
"Oh c'mon" Duplica's voice protested casing them both to look at her.  
  
"I may have made up that stuff about you just there but you are not distinguished. You need a monocle and a top hat for that"  
  
The blue haired girl giggled as she watched the two girls debate this.   
  
"Tracey what do you think?" Misty asked turning around to him.  
  
He was still looking down and Misty looked annoyed.  
She smacked him on the back of her head with the clipboard and he looked up instantly and let out a howl of pain.  
  
"Tracey, will you snap of it. We have company" Duplica told him gesturing towards the new girl.  
Tracey looked up and he could have sworn his heart stopped beating.  
Glossy blue hair cascaded down her back and spiked up at the bottom, smooth creamy skin, a slim elegant figure and a look of playfulness indicated by her clothes. Three bangs framing her sweet face perfectly and bright brown eyes glistening with delight and bright smile playing on her lips.  
  
" I... trace... sketches nice meeting to you" he blurted out.  
  
Misty, Duplica and Snap exchanged puzzled looks.  
  
"I'm sure there was a coherent introduction in there somewhere" Snap remarked.  
  
The girl grinned shyly and avoided eye contact and the girls thought they saw traces of a blush.  
  
"My names Lisa. I'm new here" she told the group but found herself looking at Tracey.  
  
"This is Tracey Sketchit" Duplica told Lisa with a smile.  
  
Lisa looked down and gazed shyly at Tracey from underneath her long lashes.  
  
"Hi" she said softly.  
  
Girls are by nature incredibly intuitive, always able to spot attractions of others to the opposite sex, always able to spot budding romances and others feelings around another, well except for their own emotions.   
Misty and Duplica were no different and exchanged knowing smiles as they watched Tracey and Lisa.  
One thing was definite.  
This was going to be interesting. 


	9. Chapter 9

Okey dokey, here's where I make with a very big and sincere apology.   
  
I'm sorry about the delay with the story (I had my Leaving Cert and my college interview so I had to get my portfolio ready, I mean I wanna go to college) and I'm sorry that after all this time I only have one chapter up.   
  
But I have plans for the rest of the story so I'm hoping to update it regularly.  
  
Everyone who once read this story has probably forgotten it and for those who haven't.  
  
Thanks!  
  
Please read and review  
  
I don't own the characters but I do own the story.   
  
If you wanna contact me, my email is on my profile which I should probably update.  
  
Did I mention....please review!  
  
I'm really nervous about trying to get back into this.  
  
Hope you enjoy it  
  
Lots of love  
  
Nibbs  
  
Chapter 9  
  
" Ash I know you're mad but you need to stop pummelling that tree " Richie told Ash.  
  
On their quest of following an enraged Ash, Richie and Brock had been led outside and were now subjected to watching Ash throw as many punches as he could deliver to a tree.  
  
"I don't know, maybe it's better for him to work through his anger" Brock said thoughtfully.  
  
"He picks a fight with the tree, the tree will win and I think we're a little outnumbered if we have to have a rumble" Richie countered as he slowly and suspiciously looked around at all the trees surrounding them in the small forest.   
  
"True, a little too true for comfort" Brock agreed.  
  
"Why are you letting Rudy get to you like this?" Richie asked.  
  
Ash was taking short breathes.  
  
"I'm not" he denied.  
  
He raised his eyes to meet the sceptical looks of both his friends.  
  
"I really hate trees" Ash told them gruffly and then turned around  
  
"Dude no one hates trees" Brock told him reasonably.  
  
"Well I do!"  
  
"Those damn trees that come on and look at your friends like their just bodies to press against them.   
  
They just stand there with that stupid look that just attracts girls like magnets to them and they all come and sit underneath the tree's branches and girls just giggle as they sit in the shade of the tree but that stupid tree goes too far when it starts trying to lure my friend under its shade.   
  
But it just keeps scattering its leafs near her so that she'll come over and do I ever try to stop him? No! I just stand on the sidelines and watch as my best friend and the girl I really .... and that damn tree will win and she'll just go and sit down and hang with the tree"  
  
"Uh huh, the tree is doing all of this?" Richie asked, knitting his eyebrows.  
  
"Its no crime to like girls. I mean if girls weren't as cute as they are there would be no bikinis no babies no..."  
  
"I'm cutting you off right there" Richie interrupted.  
  
"Right my point is that liking a girl is great.  
  
And the excitement and the joy and the fear and all of this adds up one of the greatest feelings in the world and its ok if you're afraid of feeling, well you know feeling her but she's your friend and she can't stand that kind of talk.   
  
I think you should be a knight in shining armour and rescue your fair maiden from the guys who will try to hit on her. Or trees in this case" Brock explained with wisdom beyond his years.  
  
"Yeah while you're skulking around out here, all the... um, trees will be down there all over Misty trying to convince her to sit underneath their branches" Richie added with a smirk.  
  
Ash stood up.  
  
"Yeah you guys are right, I'm going back in" he said taking a deep breath.  
  
"Pika ka pi kachu pi" a small light cheerful voice exclaimed.  
  
They watched as Ash's backpack began to squirm and a small yellow head poked out.  
  
"What she say?" Richie asked.  
  
"She said that if anyone tries hit on Misty she'll fry their tushie" Ash translated with an amused look.  
  
Pikachu nodded as if to emphasise the point.  
  
"Well lets get back up there!" Brock suggested.  
  
"Can I have everyone's attention's please?" Misty called out trying to get the attention of the crowds of people in the theatre.  
  
Mr Crefell had vanished into the crowds telling her that as personal assistant it was her job to do all this sort of work, organising, managing and delegating.  
  
It seemed like a way out of doing any work to her but he was the director, though Misty was beginning to think he was going to ask her to direct this musical.  
  
When no one answered Lisa, Tracey, Duplica and Snap all looked up at Misty, curious as to what she was going to do about this situation.  
  
Misty let out a low growl and then her face lit up.  
  
"Plica, can I borrow Ditto?" she asked her friend.  
  
"Sure" Duplica replied with a smile.  
  
She held out her hand, palm facing up.  
  
The waved her other hand above it and then in a puff of smoke a small pink box appeared on her palm.  
  
She placed the box on the ground and clapped her hands together.  
  
Then in another puff of smoke, the box transformed into a ditto who let a cheerful cry.  
  
"That was amazing" Snap said in awe, looking down at the Ditto on the ground.  
  
Duplica blushed bright red before mumbling something inaudible and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.  
  
Misty smiled and stooped down to the ditto and gave him an affectionate poke.  
  
She whispered something to Ditto and the others watched as Ditto was engulfed by a white light and transformed onto a large gong.  
  
Ash, Richie and Tracey walked in, in time to hear a "GONG" thunder around the theatre silencing everyone instantly.  
  
Misty tried to smother a giggle as she saw a sea of faces all turn to look up at her.  
  
"Can I have everyone who's auditioning for the female lead and the other female parts so I can take your name" she called out.  
  
Instantly the theatre was filled with movement as the girls crowded towards the stage all eager to get their name on the list early on.  
  
"Wow it's like you're made for doing the donkey work" Melody mocked as she and Giselle approached Misty.  
  
"Well it would explain the outfit" Giselle added.  
  
Both girls burst out into fits of giggles while Misty sighed impatiently.  
  
"Are you both trying out?" she asked them after they calmed down.  
  
"Yup" they both answered and Melody patted a silken pouch that hung around her waist.  
  
Misty again sighed and scribbled down their names on the list.  
  
"Take a seat and wait 'till you're called." she told them in a bored voice.  
  
After about three quarters of an hour, she had everyone's' names taken down for whatever roles of jobs they wanted to play or fill.  
  
Tracey was wandering around trying to find some of his friends.  
  
He froze when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder.   
  
The hand turned him around slowly and Tracey found himself face to face with Mr Crefell.  
  
"Tracey I have wonderful news! Since you are such an artist you will be working on the sets relieving Snap of one of his duties and now I have someone to help you. This is Lisa" he said steering him towards the blue haired girl.  
  
They both blushed when they made eye contact and both looked away.  
  
"She's in charge of the costumes and the three of you are a team, you will all help each other with your jobs and roles. You are the crew behind the musical." he told them excitedly.   
  
He then glanced around "Misty!"  
  
Mr Crefell walked away from them and came back, with a displeased Misty in tow.  
  
"Misty take this down.These three are a team and each..."  
  
He rambled on about their jobs and then sighed contentedly when he felt he had explained himself well enough.   
  
He walked towards the front row of seats, all eyes on him.  
  
Misty looked down at her clipboard which was filling up faster with notes than she could blink an eye at.  
  
"I'm beginning to think that he won't be able to go home and decide what to have for dinner without me to take notes on it!" Misty grumbled as she flicked through the notes, the sudden rustling of the notes creating a gentle rush of air that lifted her hair for a second before it fell softly against the sides of her face and over her forehead, framing her angelic face, though it didn't seem angelic at that moment.  
  
Her eyebrows were knitted together in a look of total aggravation and her posture and expression showed obvious signs of stress .   
  
She had been working on the musical for a day and already she had been given so many responsibilities that she wasn't sure she was gonna cope.  
  
"The guy is a little dependent on you" Snap admitted, avoiding her eyes, feeling that he would surely would crumble under her gaze.  
  
Lisa and Tracey were to busy throwing each other side long looks then blushing and whipping their heads in the opposite direction if they caught each other looking at them.  
  
"Misty!" a voice cried out and Misty hung her head recognising the dramatic cry.  
  
The crowds parted and they saw Mr Crefell looking at her impatiently.  
  
Letting out another long sigh, she trudged towards him and collapsed into the chair next to him.  
  
"Is everyone who's auditioning on the list?" he asked stroking his chin.  
  
Misty was staring at him in fascination, her imagination running away with her.  
  
"Are you paying attention to me?" he demanded.  
  
"Um yes of course" she replied quickly.  
  
She couldn't help but imagine different things about him when he stroked his chin like that.  
  
Such as him sitting in front of a roaring fireplace in a silk robe with a white fluffy cat on his lap and a cravat around his neck with a brandy glass filled with brandy.  
  
"Um well there's quite a list" she began.  
  
"Well call out the first name on the list" he told her impatiently.  
  
Misty suppressed a growl but did as she was told.  
  
"Chad...Chaderson?" she called out, sounding bemused.  
  
A masculine musclebound blonde stepped up onto the stage.  
  
"Hmm intriguing, and what role are you auditioning for ?" Mr Crefell called out.  
  
The blonde looked a little confused but regained his composure.  
  
"Quarterback" he called out and shot Misty a dazzling smile.  
  
Misty's cheeks glowed red and she looked back at him shyly and giving him a small coy smile.  
  
Mr Crefell scowled at this boy, making a mockery of his play and manipulating his personal assistant like that.  
  
He coughed loudly and if it was possible, Misty blushed a deeper shade of red and snapped her head around to look at Crefell.  
  
"Are there any quarterbacks in the play?" she asked  
  
No one knew what the play was yet, they were just expected to go and recite a piece they had studied and to sing a song they had picked as well.  
  
Mr Crefell hadn't the script completely worked out yet so he was waiting for some divine inspiration.  
  
"Given it's being set before football existed, I'm going with no" he replied.  
  
"So what do I have to do?" the blonde Chad Chaderson enquired.  
  
"Umm..... Go long?" Misty suggested.  
  
Mr Crefell shot Misty a look.  
  
"What?" she asked innocently.  
  
He continued to stare her down.  
  
"Ohh c'mon. Seeing a guy go long on a stage does sound really cool, admit it" Misty said ,defensively.  
  
Mr Crefell continued to stare.  
  
"And don't you want to know what our line up this year, whether we'll win in the championships or not" Misty rambled on but stopped and sighed.  
  
"Listen Chad" she called out. "This isn't football try outs. Its a audition for a school musical. See right now you should be in a football pitch not a theatre"  
  
Chad Chaderson shrugged casually and walked off the stage.  
  
Misty looked over when she heard the sound of someone slipping into the empty seat next to her.  
  
Ash gave her a little wave and Misty smiled at him.  
  
Two girls were up on stage auditioning together.  
  
"Hey what's wrong. You're more hyper than usual?" she whispered when she noticed Ash fidgeting around nervously.  
  
He pulled out the bootleg c.d. and handed it to her.  
  
Misty looked at him quizzically and turned the box and read the card attached to it.  
  
"Ash this is..." Misty trailed, looking at her friend in astonishment.  
  
"Yeah every song you sang in a long time, I kinda took note of them and Mac agreed to copy them"  
  
Misty glanced up at Mac.   
  
He offered his technological services at a hefty cost and usually Ash was broke to the state that repo. men were shooting him warning looks.   
  
"How on Earth did you-"  
  
"Hmm, let me see" Mr Crefell mused whipping the c.d. out of Misty's hands and examining it.  
  
"My dear girl, I believe we just have found our score of musical numbers" he continued.  
  
Misty and Ash looked at him in alarm.  
  
"But some of those songs are terrible, truly terrible" they both cried out in unison.  
  
"My, you two must spend an awful amount of time together" he smirked.  
  
"That's besides the point, last I checked a person was entitled to a moments privacy. I'm cashing in that moment"  
  
  
  
"On with the auditions!" he cried out, ignoring her.  
  
  
  
While his back was turned, he didn't see Misty fuming behind him.  
  
"I swear Ash, one of these days he's gonna turn around and bam! He'll get punched in the back of the head"  
  
"Misty please refrain from punching the guy in the back of the head"  
  
"Would that I could" she mumbled before settling back down.  
  
Before long Giselle had her audition and she performed pretty well.   
  
She had a sweet little singing voice, nowhere near Misty's standard but still pleasant to listen to and she acted very well.  
  
"Must be a side effect of being such a drama queen" Duplica whispered to Misty.  
  
Misty smothered a laugh and continued watching, much as she hated to admit it, there was something enchanting about the brunette on stage, she seemed to light up the stage with her elegance and grace.  
  
"Giselle my dear, a princess is the only word to describe you" Mr Crefell called out with pride.  
  
Misty scribbled in the words "Princess priss" next to her name knowing he'd want to take notes which to be fair she did.  
  
The auditions continued exceeding expectations both for good or for bad.  
  
Including Melody not singing or acting but playing a shell-shaped ocarina and to give her credit, she played it beautifully filling the theatre with a haunting and soothing song.  
  
As well as a streaker no one was able to identify, yet curiously, everyone was able to remember what a great posterior they had.  
  
They were drawing to a finish and Mr Crefell had already picked out the people he wanted to be play major parts in the movie but given that Misty didn't know what the play was, she couldn't really tell how many parts were in it.   
  
She was happy to note that all her friends were given roles.  
  
Misty turned around when she heard someone practising a song.   
  
They were okay but they had the tone of the song all wrong.  
  
She sighed and climbed over the seats much to the surprise of other students and Mr Crefell.  
  
"Hi" she greeted as she dropped into the empty seat next to the girl who looked suitably shocked.  
  
"Um hello" the girl replied unsure of what exactly the redhead was up to.  
  
"Oh no, I'm not here to rob you or anything, God no! I'm here to help. See you're getting the tone of the song wrong"  
  
The girl looked annoyed now.  
  
"Oh am I?"  
  
"Look I'm just trying to help"  
  
"Well maybe you could show me how I'm doing it wrong" the girl suggested angrily.  
  
She thought the reason Misty hadn't auditioned was her lack of talent and had decided to play her at her own game which was unfortunate because Misty's wasn't playing a game.  
  
Mr Crefell was watching this with the utmost interest.  
  
Ash covered his face with his hand.  
  
"Its like seeing a car accident. You don't want to see it but dag nabbit, you just can't turn away" he heard Richie say beside him.  
  
"Ok well you need to hold this note longer" to prove her point, Misty sang the note, perfect pitch and held it longer.   
  
"Then, you need to put a waver on this one but not too much or else it'll be.... well, funny but really bad"  
  
And again Misty sang with a perfect waver.  
  
By this time the scene had attracted the whole crowd and everyone was quiet.  
  
"Misty I want you to audition" Mr Crefell announced suddenly, startling Misty.  
  
"You do?" she asked.  
  
"Yes I do"  
  
"Ok," Misty said cheerfully which sent off alarm bells in her friends heads.   
  
Misty never agreed to something like this so fast and with such pep.  
  
She made her way up to the stage.  
  
"Oh I have to put my jacket over here she said as she peeled off her white jacket and went offstage to find somewhere to put it.  
  
Ten minutes later.  
  
"Mr Crefell, she's not coming back" Duplica said after watching an empty stage for ten minutes.  
  
"Ash!"  
  
"What?! I didn't pull a runner" Ash grumbled.  
  
"Go seek out our red headed siren"  
  
Ash let out a cry of surprise when he tracked down Misty but only managed to find a pair of legs sticking out of an open window.  
  
"Unless you planning on going somewhere without your legs, get back down here!" he warned as he yanked on Misty's legs sending them both tumbling to the ground.   
  
They both blushed a deep shade of red when Misty landed on top of Ash, their noses tipping.  
  
Misty pulled back instantly suddenly needing to straighten out her always scruffy and happy to have it that way, hair.  
  
"You have to go out there and sing because if you don't, I won't ever talk to you again" Ash threatened.  
  
Misty raised her eyes at Ash and gave him a very cynical smirk.  
  
"Fine I'll...never STOP talking to you"  
  
"Let's go!"  
  
Misty stepped onto the stage and made her way to the centre of the stage.   
  
She cast a wary glance at Ash who grinned at her reassuringly.   
  
She gave a weak smile in return and focused on the task at hand.  
  
Aine, a pretty girl with two bright pink pigtails that tinted violet half way down her hair and a white halter-neck top with pale pink hipsters sat at the piano, fingers poised above the keys waiting.  
  
Misty took a deep breath trying to ignore the stares of everyone in the vicinity.   
  
This was embarrassing by anyone's standards especially given her problem with singing in public.   
  
She looked over at Ash and caught a very comforting emotion on his face. Pride. She closed her eyes and began to sing softly, becoming stronger the further in she got.  
  
I could be your sea of sand   
  
I could be your warmth of desire   
  
I could be your prayer of hope   
  
I could be your gift of everyday   
  
I could be your tide of heaven   
  
I could be a hint of what's to come   
  
I could be ordinary   
  
I could be the one   
  
Misty's eyes fluttered open at this point and everyone present was reminded that she had beautiful sea green eyes. She was captivating.  
  
  
  
I could be your blue eyed angel   
  
I could be the storm before the calm   
  
I could be your secret pleasure   
  
I could be your well wishing well   
  
I could be your breath of life   
  
I could be your European dream   
  
I could be ordinary   
  
I could be the one   
  
I would lie here in the darkness   
  
I would lie here for all time   
  
I would lie here watching you over   
  
Comfort you   
  
Sing to you   
  
I could be your worry partner   
  
I could be your socialite   
  
I could be your green eyed monster   
  
I could be your force of light   
  
I could be your temple garden   
  
I could be your tender hearted child   
  
I could be ordinary   
  
I could be the one   
  
I would lie here in the darkness   
  
I would lie here for all time   
  
I would lie here watching you over   
  
Comfort you   
  
Sing to you   
  
Will I ever change the journey   
  
Will the hushed tones disappear   
  
Oh little Rita   
  
Let me hold you   
  
Oh little Rita   
  
Let me love you   
  
I could be your leafy island   
  
I could be your thunder in the clouds   
  
I could be your dark enclosure   
  
I could be your romantic soul   
  
I could be your small beginning   
  
I could be your soothing universe   
  
I could be ordinary   
  
I could be the one   
  
I could be ordinary   
  
I could be the one   
  
I could be ordinary   
  
I could be the one   
  
When she finished, the theatre was in silent awe of her which was misinterpreted by the pretty red head and was taken as shock   
  
She was a little scared of how natural it had felt to be up there singing.   
  
She immediately shifted from natural born performer to nervous tense out of place looking Misty and she brushed strands of hair away from her face, grabbed her jacket and shuffling off stage at a very quick pace for someone shuffling.   
  
She froze when she heard thundering applaud, she turned to the audience and gave them a suspicious look before darting off behind a curtain and peeping out at them warily.  
  
"Doesn't handle compliments that well, does she?" Mr Crefell asked, as he continued to applaud Misty who was almost glaring out at them from behind the curtains.  
  
"Yeah um can you guys get her back from there?" an unfamiliar female voice asked.  
  
Brock and Richie looked back and saw a pretty brown eyed girl; with waist long blue hair.  
  
"This is Lisa, Lisa, these are Brock and Richie" Tracey said politely, blushing but fixing Brock with a glare before he even opened his mouth.  
  
"Ok People that's a wrap, Misty will be posting up the parts tomorrow and we'll have rehearsals and discuss everything. Good work everyone, except for you Johnny, You were terrible" Mr Crefell said, looking around accusingly.  
  
"Sir there is NO Johnny here" a voice called out.  
  
"Oh well then, you were terrible then," he remarked pointing to a random person to his left.  
  
"I didn't audition" a voice protested.  
  
"Just as well, now be gone everyone"  
  
With that Mr Crefell ushered everyone out of the theatre and turned towards the stage.  
  
"Misty that was..." Ash was lost for words and Misty pulled her jacket back on and slung her bag over her shoulder.  
  
"Don't even say it, Ketchum, that was bad enough as it was. I don't need my best friend rubbing it in my face"  
  
"You were incredible and hey did you just say best friend?"  
  
Misty walked away, looking at him over her shoulder.  
  
"You're not just messing with me are you?" she asked, suspiciously.  
  
"You said I was you best friend"  
  
Misty sighed and rolled her eyes when she noticed Mr Crefell looking at her as if seeing her in a whole new light.  
  
"I knew you were meant to perform" he said simply and left them .  
  
"You said I was your.."  
  
"Quiet you!"  
  
The next day.  
  
Misty was wearing her full length white jacket again.  
  
She was wearing a short dark blue tee shirt with light green three quarter length sleeves with a light green hood and a pair of stone washed jeans.Her hair was held back in two plaits.  
  
Once again Mr Crefell was convinced that the girl could light up country with her presence and the world with her smile.  
  
He approached her when she was alone and handed her the sheet but strictly instructed her not to look at them until she posted them.  
  
Misty pinned it to the notice board and was nearly mauled by the crowd gathering to get a look.  
  
"Princess Calliope" Gisselle called out, smugly.  
  
"Hey I got Liam" Richie cried out cheerfully.  
  
"Not literally" he added.  
  
"Hey I'm Finn" Ash said, surprised.  
  
Various other people called out their roles.  
  
"Hey I got the part of Jack" Brock said happily enough.  
  
"Hey I'm Aoife" Duplica yelled out in glee.  
  
Misty was leaning against the wall , arms folded, waiting for her friends to emerge from the crowd.   
  
She closed her eyes when she heard her voice being called.   
  
Her eyes shot open at that, assuming one of the guys was trapped in there and needed her to rescue them, which was a frequent occurrence.  
  
"You might wanna see this" Duplica called out , her voice was filled with uncertainty.  
  
Misty pushed her way through the crowd until she was face to sheet with the list.   
  
Her face paled.   
  
Her name was at the top of the list which meant she had one of the biggest parts in the play.  
  
"Jade?" she asked softly.  
  
Her face clouded over and her eyes narrowed dangerously.  
  
"I am gonna kill him" she growled as she stormed off.  
  
To be continued.  
  
Yeah, please let me know what you think of this, see I have a really precise idea and story for the play they'll be doing but I like the idea and characters a lot so I was thinking that I might make it a story in itself and I'd love to know if anyone would be interested in seeing a story like that so if you are, let me know please.  
  
Nibbs 


	10. chapter10

Hey there again! I actually don't think this is a very good chapter but I am proud that other couples got a mention in this one.   
  
And I'm happy that I got it reasonably fast well for me, I did.  
  
And I want to thank the two people who reviewed, I appreciate it.   
  
You guys rock!!!!!!  
  
NOW PAY ATTENTION TO THIS.  
  
Anyone who reads this story, I want to know if anyone thinks it would be worthwhile to make a separate story based on the story and characters of the play.   
  
Chapter 10  
  
"I didn't audition!"  
  
Mr. Crefell turned around, only slightly surprised by the dangerous expression of the short tempered red head who was standing right behind him near the theatre entrance.  
  
He was looking at the notice board near the doors of it when he heard a shrill voice cry that out.   
  
Maybe he should have been more surprised given that no student was generally allowed to take that sort of tone with any figure of authority and much as he liked to see her in all her fiery glory, he couldn't allow her to rage against him.  
  
"Must I remind you that no student is allowed to be so forthcoming with their dislike or anger towards a teacher"  
  
Just because he had to stop her rampage, it didn't mean he couldn't have some fun and rile her up more.  
  
"I didn't audition" she repeated, apparently ignoring his responce.  
  
"Well as it stands I have a whole theatre of young philanthropist's of the arts who might disagree"  
  
"You backed me into a corner!"   
  
"Which you fought your way out of very nicely indeed."  
  
"And what if I refuse to show up for rehearsals and if by some fluke that I do, I make things so unbearably hard for everyone there you'll have no choice BUT to get rid of me" Misty asked, with a sly grin as she folded her arms across her chest and drummed her fingers along the hook of her elbow.  
  
"Then I'll be forced to inform the principal that you're not cooperating which will mean that you'll be dealing with him, who's probably angry enough that after the trouble you caused. It has greatly upset him that he was only able to get you into an after school activity. You know, he told me to make sure that you pulled your own weight and then some after the incident."  
  
Misty's smirk faded and she looked at him helplessly.  
  
"You know ?"   
  
"Of course I know! You surely don't think that I wouldn't want to dig up some info on why the principal is insisting that some student who's on the verge of being a major trouble causer be in on this play. I also know that you will be in the dog house at home given your sisters insistence that you be in this play.   
  
Hate to tell you this red, but this time you're really backed into a corner"  
  
"But why did you have to put me in the play?"  
  
"Listen let's take a moment to calm down, maybe have a cup of chamomile tea. Hmm do I have any chamomile tea?"  
  
"I doubt it, you didn't get me to write it down on my notes"  
  
"Well, young lady, I shall be seeing you later.   
  
My, you're a tough nut to crack but I know I shall suceed"  
  
With that he walked away, chuckling.  
  
Misty stood rooted to the spot, anger radiating from her small frame.  
  
"You do NOT want to mention "cracking nuts" while I'm in this mood"  
  
*******  
  
Snap was making a beeline for the dark room.  
  
It was almost lunch and he planned to spend it in there developing some photos.   
  
He had taken quite a few of his friends.   
  
Thinking about how quickly he had found friends, and especially friends like his, it brought a smile to his face which served to quicken his pace.  
  
"Snap!" a voice cried out and he paused and looked around, surprised to hear of anyone looking for him.  
  
Duplica approached him and gave a small little wave.  
  
"Where are you headed? I was calling you .   
  
People give you funny looks if they see you running down the hall yelling out snap but I guess you didn't hear me?" Duplica explained unable to hide the hopefullness in her voice.   
  
Hope that he wasn't just ignoring her.  
  
"Sorry Plica, I was away in my own little world" Snap confessed without thinking.  
  
Duplica nodded happily when a thought struck her {He called me Plica} and for some reason, even though the others had called it more than once, it gave her butterflies in her stomach when he said it.  
  
"I was gonna go work on some photographs during lunch" he continued when he reached his destination.  
  
"Cool, can I come?" she asked smiling brightly but inwardly groaning at the thought of being stuck in a small dark room for 45 minutes.  
  
"Sure but I can't guarantee you'll find it any bit interesting. Well except for the butt shots. Ash got a hold of my camera and him and Richie ...they pulled a couple of moonies on film. Just so their butts could be remembered through the ages"  
  
Duplica froze, wearing a disgusted expression.  
  
Why couldn't he refrain from those sorts of stories. Those were guy stories you shared with guys. Not girls who you think as a potential girlfriend.   
  
He would never have told Misty that story because he would have been afraid that it might ruin his chances with her.   
  
Sometimes she wished he could get all tongue tied and redfaced around her instead of Misty, at least then she'd know he liked her in that way.   
  
But nooooo, he had to be able to talk to her like she was his best friend and he was so capable to telling her everything.   
  
Guys just don't make sense.  
  
Richie sighed as he stepped into the darkroom wishing that he could be able to talk to Misty as easily as he could with Duplica, then all his problems would be solved.  
  
He continued thinking about this as he closed the door after Duplica but was jolted out of the reverie by her sudden shriek.  
  
He had caught her hair in the door.   
  
While scrambling to open the door again, he had managed to get out more apologies than Duplica could ever understand in a minute.  
  
She was trying to pull her hair forewards when he opened the door which in turn sent Duplica stumbling forewards.   
  
Snap managed to catch her in time and noticed something surprising when he looked down at her to see if she was okay.  
  
She had let her hair down that day and with the sudden motion it had all gone flying foreward and now it rested around her face and over her shoulders, framing her face.   
  
She was laughing and her face was lit up with joy and humour.   
  
Her eyes seemed brighter and he could have sworn he saw them twinkle. Her nose crinkled in an adorable way and her lips formed a beautiful smile.  
  
She paused momentarily to look at him and without realizing he had said while she stood up.  
  
"You're really pretty when you laugh"  
  
Duplica blushed and was glad for the darkness.   
  
Maybe today she would tell him and they could get together...and look at some photo's of Misty that he had taken and was gazing at intently.  
  
If he were to see her expression, he would have seen one very annoyed girl.  
  
*******  
  
"I'm just saying that maybe if you weren't such a loser, I wouldn't have a problem talking to you around people, I could come home with you on time and then your Dad wouldn't keep busting my butt for staying out late" Melody remarked,leaning against the row of lockers.  
  
Tracey turned to look at her in disbelief.  
  
"You've got to be joking, your actually blaming me because you keep staying out past curfew. I suppose it's my fault that your Mom sent you here as well"  
  
"Well now that you mention it, if you weren't such a model student and if you didn't obey your dad so much, my Mom never would have sent me to this...whaetever it is that you call this place"   
  
Melody brushed a non existant piece of lint of her tight white vest top under an open blue short sleeved shirt and she flicked her waves of hazel hair, held back by a bandana, over her shoulder.  
  
"Melody, did it ever occur to take a stroll in the real world?" Tracey demanded.  
  
Melody gave a small wave at Giselle when she saw her passing and began to walk away but paused to look over her shoulder at him.  
  
"Yeah I would, but then I'd have to converse with people such as yourself.  
  
I'm just saying, you could try laying off the selfishness, I mean the world doesn't revolve around you and you alone"   
  
And with that she walked away, swinging her hips {and given her short pale pink denim skirt} she was attracting quite a lot of male attention as she walked away with Giselle.  
  
"And the award for the most ironic statement goes to....girl in the teeny tiny barbie outfit" a voice remarked.  
  
"Hey that's my cousin you're talking about....good call" Tracey said and nearly slammed his locker on his fingers when he saw who was standing in Melody's place.  
  
Lisa smiled at him affectionately.  
  
Tracey stared at her taking in every detail about her, her sleeveless hooded top that while it wasn't tightly fitting, it showed off her figure modestly, her cargo pants that illustrated her long legs, the long gleaming navy locks which were held back slightly, letting it fall freely down her back but keeping it away from her sweet face and her warm brown eyes which were fixed on him.  
  
"You know, I don't know where she gets off, treating you like that" she continued, casting a dirty look towards the disappearing form of Melody.   
  
"Its the way Mel is" Tracey shrugged casually then looked down at the notepad in her hands.  
  
"What's this?" he asked, gesturing to the notebook.  
  
"Oh here" she said handing it him and their hands accidentedly touched causing her to inspect Tracey.  
  
He looked so cute in an oversized jumper and an old pair of shorts that hung by this knees.  
  
He was only a little taller that her which was something she was grateful for so she could look up at him.   
  
While he studied the notebook she had a strange urge to brush his dark brown black hair but she settled for something different.  
  
"These are really good" he complimented studying the costume designs.  
  
When he looked at her he saw she studying him with a devious glint and before he knew it, she had yanked off the red headband he always wore off and had taken off sprinting down the hall with him in hot pursuit.  
  
*****  
  
Melody was gossiping with Giselle when they pased Richie who she recognised as one of Tracey's friends.  
  
"Loser" she said loudly enough for him to hear as he walked past and she made it sound so casual.  
  
"Airhead" he shot back just as fast and just as casually.  
  
The brief exchange made them both pause and look over the shoulder at the other one.  
  
"Cute butt" they both remarked as he looked at one another and then continued on thier ways.  
  
Richie approached the gang, they were in their usual spot, under the shade of a tree somewhat secluded from everywhere else.  
  
Ash was reading a comic and looked like he was deeply pondering the events that had taken place in it.  
  
Brock was drooling at the school paper which had a picture of Giselle in it and Misty was pacing back and forth rambling.  
  
"Hey where's everyone else?" Richie asked as he took a seat between Brock and Ash.  
  
"I think Duplica's with Snap and if I'm right they should both be in the dark room"  
  
"Ohh Snap, you dog you" Brock chuckled.  
  
"And Tracey's with Lisa and they're working on some costume for the play I think" Brock added.  
  
"Or Tracey's chasing Lisa around while she waves a hairband " Richie corrected as he watched them from afar.  
  
"Can you believe it?! He told me I had no choice" Misty demanded, surprsing everyone with her outburst, well almost everyone.  
  
"You know the first seven times you told us, I was verging of not believing it" Ash remarked flatly.  
  
"Then times seven through fourteen, I believed you and now times fourteen to tweny-one I am so beyond believing it that I think I'm going right back into not beleving it" he finished, tearing his eyes away from the comic, which Misty snathced off him angrily and pointed an accusatory finger at him.  
  
"This is all your fault" she cried.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Ohh I'll never stop talking to you if you don't sing right now. Ohh you' were so good, you should sing more often. I wouldn't even be in this predicament if you didn't have to have your two cents. You..you...YOU highfalootin' ninny!"  
  
Ash watched in shock and bewilderment as she stormed off, tossing the comic at his head.  
  
"You gotta hand it her, not many people use insults like "highfalootin' ninny" anymore" Richie grinned.  
  
"You really would wonder what exactly goes in that head of hers" Brock   
  
"I'd like to think that I would not" Ash said, flicking through his comic to find his page.  
  
Apparently Misty felt bad about the way she treated Ash, given how she sat next to him in their next class but not bad enough to forgive him and so refused to speak to him.  
  
Giselle however got a small surprise when she noticed that Melody who was seated next to her, was throwing fleeting glances at Richie throughout the class, who without her knowing was doing the same thing.  
  
"Hey man, someone tailing you or something? If I turn around can I expect to see some guy in a trench coat with the collar pulled up wearing sunglasses and a ludicrous hat with a suitcase on the desk?" Ash asked him.  
  
"No.. but I will HAVE to that comic away from you now"  
  
Later that day  
  
Hello and welcome that will be the most trying times of your young lives" Mr Crefell cried as he ushered the students who were waiting outside, into the theatre.   
  
It was time for the first rehearsal and there was a buzz of excitemnt in the air.  
  
He called up several people on stage:Ash, Misty, Giselle, Rudy, Richie, Duplica and Brock.  
  
"Here are the stars of the show and now gather around for I will tell you of the story you will be pouring your sweat,blood and tears into.  
  
"Sounds like the recipe for that stew Misty made a while back" Rihcie joked but froze when he saw the glare that resulted from it.  
  
"This is the story of how Pokemon came to be.   
  
See they were three races, well more than that but these three are the ones we shall be chiefly interested in.  
  
The animals a.k.a the Pokemon, the humans" and at this point he pushed Brock, Giselle Rudy and Duplica to one side.   
  
"And race of creatures that were like humans except blessed with incredible magic abilitites" he said as he pushed Ash, Misty and Richie to the other side.  
  
"These sides were constantly at war with another but eventually it came to pass that the magic wielders, as they were called, settled down in the woods in places inaccessible to the humans. Sometimes the particularly rebellious or brave magic wielder would cross over and roam the human grounds.  
  
But so rare was this that after time, the humans forgot the magic wielders still existed.  
  
But as the story goes, a young man, a young man who helped his father in an old shop where they sold many strange and unusual items, a young man named Ben " Mr Crefell pulled Rudy foreward at this time .  
  
Misty groaned, she had forgotten to check whether he had gotten a leading role and he had so now she was stuck with him.  
  
"Well Ben fell in love with the most beautiful maiden in the land, Priness Calliope"  
  
Giselle stepped forward.  
  
"Ben was a shy boy and couldn't see why the princess should love him. So while looking through his shop for anything he found an old legend which spoke of the magic wielders and Ben being only but a young fool in love decided that he needed to find a magic wielder to help him.  
  
But on the other side of things.The most powerful magician in the world goes about her business. Jade" Mr Crefel steered Misty towards the centre of the stage to face Giselle and Rudy  
  
Every magic wielder is blessed with the gift of magic but Jade was believed to have been formed from pure magic, in other wolds she's pure magic in the form of human.  
  
"And how very disgruntled she is about it" Tracey whispered to Snap looking up at the glare and pout Misty was sporting as she stood in the middle of the stage.   
  
But because Jade is an accumulation of much magic, she has no real family and no lineages. So when a blacksmith took his baby son, Finn."  
  
On cue he pushed Ash towards the centre of the stage.  
  
"To the woods one day, they found a beautiful baby girl the same age as Finn, all alone. Finn's father being the kindhearted man that he was was, took Jade in.  
  
So Jade and Finn grew up together and like kids, they got into trouble but the King of the magic wielders shunned Jade for she had emmense power, more than any royalty had, but he wanted Jade to marry his son-Liam"  
  
Richie was pushed towards the small group forming in the middle of the stage.   
  
"But, alas, Jade didn't want to marry him but wanted to travel around the human world.   
  
So she, Finn and Liam left their kingdom for the real world. Where they met Ben who had been looking for a magic wielder.   
  
Jade agrees to help but only if he finds her somewhere to live so then a pact is agreed.  
  
Princess Calliope's best friend-Aoife heard about this gathering and had followed Ben .   
  
She saw the sincerity and love that Ben had for Calliope so she too decided to help. "  
  
Duplica stepped forward but looked very surprised at the notion of (Even in play form) acting as Giselle's friend.  
  
Meanwhile the king of the humans is trying to find the perfect match for his daughter so he sends his most trusted advisor- Jack"  
  
And the last person to go to the centre of the stage walked over.  
  
"Yes he sends Jack to follow the princess and search far and wide for the perfect match for Calliope"  
  
Mr Crefell paused, for dramatic affect, of course.  
  
Everyone was hanging on his every word when he left out a loud laugh.  
  
"And yet I think that that's enough for today" he smiled amid protests.   
  
"Very well, in a nutshell, Jade agrees to help Ben but the pair eventually fall in love themselves but at this time, Calliope is also falling for Ben because of the hard word Jade has done. Jack finds many perfect suitors for Calliope and Aoife begins to fall for Liam.  
  
When both Kings find out what has been going on they are furious and war is almost definite to break out when the animals intervene not wanting either race to hurt themselves.   
  
In turn the humans and magic wielders realise how wrong they are and in an effort to thank the animals the humans the animals the gift of human spirit and the magic wielders give them magic so that they are able to use all the different types and attacks and this the legend of Pokemon begins."  
  
The room was silent.  
  
"Any questions?"  
  
"And what was wrong with the classics?"Ash asked.  
  
"Classic is just another word for cliche, any other questions"  
  
"Yeah why.."  
  
"That AREN'T from impertinent redheads"  
  
"Ok everyone let's begin working on the musical score.   
  
Misty you warm up your vocal cords and get to grips with some of the songs you'll be signing.   
  
I get the feeling that you don't usually ever sing in public and I think maybe you should get used to it before we throw you in a deep end...again.  
  
Giselle I'd like to work with your singing right now. Everyone else, unluckily and luckily, whichever is your perspective is, these two ladies will do most of the singing is this play so I want you to get to know one another and I want you to try your scenes. After I finish with Giselle, I want everyone to come up and act out your scenes and before you know it we'll....."  
  
"Making magic. But I can't see why you should need anyone but Giselle here to light up the stage" a female voice cried and everyone turned to the entrance where a tall beautiful woman stood.  
  
She looked very well to do in a red silk dress that caught the light and gleamed.  
  
She swanned towards the stage and stepped up on it without any inhibiton.  
  
"And who, are you?" Mr Crefell demanded, face turning red with anger.  
  
"Michelle is it, you've got a pretty face but it takes more than pretty to be a great actress, here honey. You sit down, work on that voice of yours" she said as she directed Misty to the small piana bench where Aine was seated, there was room for two.  
  
Misty stared at her in shock and gave Aine a "who the hell is this lady and why is she here" look to which Aine who looked equally bewildered, shrugged helplessly.  
  
The woman placed her hands on her hips and glared at everyone from the stage.  
  
Please put your orbs back in, I know it might be a shock to see someone who actually looks at themslves in the mirror before they leave the house but I am much too busy here to try and save the rest of you from making fools of yourselves on stage"  
  
The mystery woman turned on Mr Crefell.  
  
"Seems to me that, that little redheaded number at the piano got the lead in this shindig"  
  
"I wouldn't say that but"  
  
"But nothing, why didn't Giselle get it?" she demanded.  
  
"Madam, not that its any of your business but I choose the students based on thier abilities and thier persona's.   
  
Misty over there was just a much better choice for a rebellious young delinquent who has a power that she's not ready." Mr Crefell explained, thinking how really perfect it was.  
  
Misty's voice was a power to be reckoned with but she had barely scratched the surface with it while Jade was the same way with her magic. They both had so much to learn about using this power  
  
"Well I'm telling you that Giselle would make just as good a lead if not better than"  
  
By this stage everyone in the theatre was listening to the heated debate.  
  
"Enough!" Giselle screamed, her cheeks were a bright shade of red and for one of the first times in a while, she looked genuinely upset over something.  
  
"Andrea, what are you doing here?" she hissed as she glared into the older woman's eyes.  
  
"I came here because you said you had a rehearsal because I thought that you might screw it up and oh look how wrong I was" the older woman snapped, sarcasm dripping form her voice.  
  
"I am doing just fine here by myelf. I like the role I got and I want to do is practice and really get into this. The last thing I need is for you to show up here and make a scene"  
  
"I am NOT making a scene"  
  
"Andrea I am not going to tell you this again. Go home, go shopping go the hair dressers, anywhere but here, You're embarressing. I like the role I got, its suits me and I don't want to have Misty's role"  
  
"Fine!" Andrea screamed suddenly.  
  
She pointed a finger right in Giselle's face."I have tried to be reasonable with you, you think I like having a little brat running around my feet. I tried to be nice to you but you keep pushing me away and acting like I'm the enemy, I'm beginning to understand why your mother left "  
  
She looked dowen and saw Giselle's pretty brown eyes filled with hate and her right hand raised slightly as if to strike Andrea.  
  
"Thats it! We're leaving"  
  
Andrea stormed off the stage and spun on her heel to glare up at the stage.  
  
"You coming?!" she demanded but it was more like an order.  
  
"No Andrea, I'm not" she said trying to keep her voice as level as possible.  
  
"Fine!" the woman cried and stormed out of the theatre.  
  
Everyone watched Giselle with horrified expressions.  
  
Those who felt embarressed by the whole affair were dying to try and start up conversation or get on with the work but no one had the courage to be the first one to speak.   
  
Even Misty who could never be defined as Giselle's number one fan had no desire to mention that scene or do anything to make it worse.  
  
She wanted to pretend nothing had happened and get back to practice but the longer the silnce went on the harder it was to break and as of yet no one had the courage, not even Mr Crefell, to break it.  
  
"Yeah like your families are so great" Giselle spat out glaring around the room before making a beeline for the door.  
  
Brock got up and followed her instantly and eveyone else was too much in a state of shock to do much else but stare.  
  
A loud music note sounded and everyone looked at Aine who bit her lip and muttered a quick apology but surprisingly after that, everything went back to normal.   
  
Given Giselle was no longer there, Mr Crefell went about helping everyone with the acting.  
  
*******  
  
Brock saw a lone figure crouched underneath a tree and as he drew closer, he could make Giselle curled up, her body shaking with sobs.  
  
Her head jerked up when she saw him and her eyes narrowed.  
  
"Um hi" he began  
  
To be continued. 


	11. chapter 11

Ok! Here's the deal, I am extremely sorry about the delay to anyone who's still reading this story but I started college this year and its taking up a lot of my time.  
  
And I have some sad news, anyone who's ever seen one of my reviews or I might have mentioned her earlier but my beloved pet cat Sushie ran away about five weeks ago and I was heartbroken.   
  
We're looking for a kitten at the moment and if anyone has any idea of a good name for a kitten please feel free to tell me.  
  
These characters don't belong to me but the story is mine so don't steal it.  
  
Please read and review. Please?  
  
Lots of Love and Merry Christmas  
  
Nibbs  
  
"Oh I get it, so now you finally have something to gloat about. It's like Christmas and your birthday rolled into one." Giselle growled, looking away as Brock stood over her.  
  
"Yeah, this is the stuff dreams are made of" Brock replied and even in her hysterical mood, she was able to pick up on the sarcasm and even graced him with a small sardonic smile.   
  
Brock let out a small sigh at even the slightest hint on a smile and the stunning brunettes' face.  
  
Even like this, she was one of the most beautiful creatures that walked the school grounds.  
  
And by some miracle, Brock was able to speak to her without stuttering or blurting out things that should never be said.   
  
It seemed different this time, maybe it was the fact that he knew he wasn't going to try and make a move on her.   
  
Right now all he wanted was to stop her tears and bring as smile to her face and his fraternal instincts were guiding him.   
  
As well as that, she didn't seem so untouchable.   
  
Brock could see how vulnerable and scared and sad she was and she seemed like a little puppy that had been ignored too many times and was just acting out.  
  
It was a well-known fact among his friends that Giselle was possibly one of the top three topics he gave intense thought and consideration to: his friends, his family and Giselle.  
  
"You know it doesn't even bother me anymore" Giselle informed him with an indignant sniff, well it was supposed to be indignant but it came out as an injured sniffled.  
  
"I know" Brock tried to soothe, slipping into his ways of comforting his younger brothers and sisters.  
  
"I am not five, I don't need the "daddy agrees with you, sweetie" treatment" she snapped, whipping her head around to glare at him and catching Brock off guard with her smouldering brown eyes.   
  
"I'm sorry, force of habit" he answered instantly, averting his eyes.  
  
Giselle noticed this and smirked slightly. He was kind of cute in a goofy never gonna happen way.  
  
"You know I've become a strong and independent person because of that. It's in spite of them that I am the determined popular outgoing person I am. I'd say that it just strengthened me and"  
  
"Ok ok! It's like listening to the "after" girl of a mental health book infomercial," Brock cried still averting his eyes.  
  
"End up watching a lot of infomercials, do we?" Giselle asked, condescendingly.  
  
"Well yeah, I end up staying up late a lot of the nights with one of the kids. One always seems to be sick. They take turns." Brock muttered softly, but loudly enough for Giselle to hear.  
  
Giselle regretted her taunts, Brock came out here to help her and all she could do was throw insults at him and as if that wasn't bad enough, he wouldn't fight back.  
  
With Ash, Misty, Duplica or Richie, she could expect something snapped back at her and she could handle that.  
  
"Me too" she confessed, watching him from the corner of her eye.  
  
The amount of times she was all alone on the house, late at night watching infomercials and it was always too late to call Joe when she got really lonely and slightly scared.  
  
She learned a long time ago not to watch horror movies during these times, cause she had no one to run behind when she got scared.   
  
"You know everyone's family has flaws. You were right, no one has the perfect family." Brock tried to console.  
  
"Your friends don't" she shot back.  
  
(Yeah which one. Ash? The guy who's only ever known his Mom and is an only child. Or Misty? Who doesn't have parents and lives with her sisters who she doesn't get along with at all, or maybe Richie, whose mom ran off with his dad's best friend or Duplica who's just trying to get some sort of attention} Brock thought somewhat bitterly but simply replied.  
  
"They don't have it perfect, either. Trust me"  
  
Giselle looked him straight in the eyes and whispered "I do"   
  
Her eyes filled with tears and with a short wail, she buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed all her troubles out.  
  
"It's not fair, why did he have to do that. Andrea's so horrible. He would he marry her and why doesn't she ever leave me alone." she moaned and she pressed herself into him and rested her cheek against him.  
  
Brock blinked in surprise but placed a comforting arm around her shoulders and held her till her tears subsided.   
  
She was this entirely different person when she let her defences down.   
  
Eventually he spoke, breaking the calming silence around them.  
  
"You want to meet a flawed but great family?" he offered, very unsure of himself.  
  
Giselle looked up at him; eyebrows raised but gave into the force to smile and accepted his outstretched hand.  
  
"Ok, we're doing good" Aine announced cheerfully.  
  
Misty tilted her head and gave her a very dubious look.  
  
"In the loosest sense of the word" Aine admitted.  
  
Misty just wasn't good at this out on the spot and also it was difficult to train her because she was used to doing it without proper instruction that it was second nature to her.   
  
So as well as planting new ideas, Aine had to get rid of old ones which was especially hard given Misty's stubborn nature.  
  
"Misty!"  
  
Misty jumped at the cry and turned around to see Mr Crefell behind her smiling broadly. She couldn't help letting out a small groan.  
  
"You'll be happy to know that most of the songs on your little record here can and are being used in the show. Well many of them are, try as I might, I just couldn't find anything relevant for "Fame" " he looked puzzled as he said that.  
  
"Its not what it looks like" Misty objected instantly, cheeks reddening.  
  
"And how did it happen?" Aine asked, resting her chin in her hand and looking at Misty, most amused.  
  
"It was late, we were tired cause we were helping Brock baby-sit, we had a little too much sugar to eat and drink, there was a 70's and 80's movie marathon. We watched Fame"  
  
Misty lowered her eyes as she continued, embarrassed.  
  
"And Ghostbusters...and Flashdance"  
  
"And you ended up singing them and Ash took note?" Aine asked curiously.  
  
Misty nodded and then sighed.  
  
"It was such a big mistake, I can't believe Ash remembered and did this"  
  
"Remembered and did what?" Ash's voice asked from behind them.  
  
"Fame" Misty replied glumly.  
  
"Oh there's nothing funnier that seeing Misty singing that. Man, you had such a sugar high, you didn't even remember you dance number" Ash said grinning.  
  
Misty glared at him.  
  
"You know, it's about time we finished up. Misty, work on this after rehearsal. I don't want to see you waste a gift." Mr Crefell said softly and then turned around to the group and dismissed them.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow, Misty" Aine said cheerfully as she grabbed her bag and stepped off down the stage.  
  
The room emptied out leaving only Ash's group.  
  
They gathered near the stage and remained quiet until Ash burst out laughing.  
  
"He just laughing at me signing Fame" Misty explained, in a tired voice and let out a large sigh.  
  
"For old times sake, Mist?" Ash asked hopefully.  
  
Misty laughed at herself in her mind because she always laughed at people who went weak in the knees at the sight of someone else but her knees felt like water jelly and she was just grateful she was sitting.   
  
Given the puppy dog eyes and bright boyish smile Ash was giving her, there's not a thing in the world he could have asked that Misty would have refused.  
  
It took all her effort not to smile back at him dreamily.  
  
She stood up and they both started counting off till.  
  
"FAME!" they all sang out and Misty even threw in a couple of twirls and splits because that she could well.   
  
I'm gonna live forever  
  
I'm gonna learn how to fly  
  
High  
  
I feel it coming together  
  
People will see me and cry  
  
Fame  
  
I'm gonna make it to heaven  
  
Light up the sky like a flame  
  
Fame  
  
Ahhh I'm gonna live forever  
  
Baby remember my name  
  
Without much grace, they all danced among themselves.  
  
Tracey spun Lisa around and they had fun doing that.  
  
Ash and Misty danced as clumsily as they could for fun but even then it was obvious that they were the best partners for one another as their movements always seemed to work well together.  
  
Snap amused himself with taking as many pictures as he could catching them all in different angles and different poses, most which were embarrassing.  
  
Richie and Duplica enjoyed themselves with various dances they knew form any time, varying form the chicken dance to the batman dance.  
  
Misty spun around a little too fast and Ash caught her before she did herself harm and found himself gazing down into the deep sea green orbs that fascinated him for so long.  
  
A small smile spread across her face and she blew wisps of red hair away from her face.  
  
"Thanks hero boy" she whispered softly which caused Ash to blush and drop her.  
  
"Misty let out a cry and glared up at him which made the others laugh.  
  
She got up and dusted herself off making a point of ignoring Ash.  
  
The group headed out of the theatre and then spilt up to go various routes home.  
  
Misty, Ash and Richie walked out first, followed closely by Duplica walked behind them with Snap.   
  
They paused and looked back in.  
  
"Tracey, you and Lisa coming? "Ash called back.  
  
Tracey looked over from the stage and saw their heads peeking around the doorframe.  
  
"We might just stay here and work" he called back praying that his voice wouldn't crack.  
  
Lisa blushed and nodded.  
  
This was greeted by five smirks.  
  
"Yeah well you guys, you do your work" Ash agreed nodding   
  
"Never knew you had such a great work ethic, Trace"  
  
"Yeah you gotta fill us in on that"  
  
"Don't work too hard. Might be nice to have you two standing tomorrow"  
  
"Don't let HIM work too hard"  
  
Lisa bit her lip holding back a laugh as Tracey's friends sniggered.  
  
"Don't you wise guys have somewhere to go like...not here"  
  
"So, Melody? What a brat!" he began cheerfully.   
  
"No Misty's a brat. She's worse!" Ash replied.  
  
"Hey?" Misty objected, taking a swipe at him.  
  
Lisa appeared from the doors causing all conversation to cease.  
  
She laughed self-consciously and scratched the back of her head.  
  
"Bathroom" she said briefly.  
  
"Ohh good idea" Misty said.  
  
"You guys know you don't get to take credit for that right?" Richie asked.  
  
"As in the place we are going, you numbskulls...as in what's inside your skull has gone numb" Duplica shot back.  
  
Richie and Ash made a face at her at which she giggled.  
  
With that, the three girls walked off towards the bathroom chatting and giggling.]  
  
"Women" the boys all groaned in unison.  
  
"Why do they have to travel in packs? Its very intimidating?" Snap asked.  
  
"Easy! What's the scariest place in the world for a little boy?" Ash asked.  
  
"The girls bathroom"  
  
"Exactly, it's a territorial thing. They're trying to protect the one place they know no man would dare to tread"  
  
Snap threw a puzzled glance at Richie who shrugged.  
  
"He had a bad experience playing Hide and Seek with Misty when they were seven" he explained.  
  
"Still though, things would be half as interesting without them" Ash said smiling softly.  
  
"Yeah did you see Jan's tee shirt today. It was so low you could totally see her"  
  
Someone cleared her throat loudly behind them.  
  
"Geography notes" Richie finished off weakly.  
  
Misty and Duplica stood behind them, arms folded across their chests glaring at the two boys.  
  
"They were witty and informative," Ash added faintly.  
  
"You guys were fast" Snap squeaked out.  
  
"We were taking a whiz, and we didn't have that much to..."  
  
"Please we don't need to know"  
  
"Oh that's rich. You guys are always informing us of your accomplishments in the bathroom.  
  
"Yeah but that's on a need to know basis"  
  
"How could we possibly need to know the gale force and direction of your belches"  
  
"And other such expulsions of gas"  
  
"Wow, you guys really know how to have fun" another female voice remarked, vice dripping with sarcasm.  
  
"Is Tracey's cousin actively seeking us out to insult us now?"  
  
"Don't flatter yourselves. I'm looking for Giselle." Melody growled, tapping her foot impatiently.  
  
The small group looked around and made a point of doing a head count.  
  
"Yeah she's not here"  
  
"Yeah I can see that" she snapped back.  
  
"Really? Cause it seems like you don't" Richie replied cheerfully.  
  
"Listen just because you're cute, that doesn't mean have to put up with you" Melody retorted, flipping her long hair over a slender shoulder.  
  
"Who's asking you too?" Richie demanded.   
  
"Loser"  
  
"Obnoxious whiny lil'..."   
  
"I bet a million quaglons on the male" Ash whispered to Misty who rolled her eyes at him.  
  
"STOP!" she screamed in frustration.. Once she had everyone's attention she turned to Melody.  
  
"We don't know where your perfect leader has gone but she's not here and we have our own friend to find so scamper away" she continued.  
  
Melody glared at them, spun on her hell and walked away without looking back.  
  
Richie watched her go, eyes fixed on her lower half and then tore his eyes away only to be greeted by four suspicious faces.  
  
"How do you think Brock got on with Giselle?" Ash asked.  
  
"WE could pop around and have a word" Duplica suggested.  
  
"Cause we have no lives of our own?" Misty asked exasperated.  
  
Everyone exchanged looks and then raised their eyebrows at her.  
  
You're right, lets go"  
  
Giselle giggled as two children ran around her feet, cheering about something. Another one lined themselves up on the back of the sofa, about to dive off.  
  
"Super Manny away!" he cried as he leapt only to be caught in mid air by his eldest brother Brock.  
  
"Super Manny returns to check on his little sister" Brock teased placing him on the ground.  
  
"Awhh Brock. I'm a superhero, evil doers will laugh at me if I have to stop defeating them so I can watch my little sister" the young boy complained.  
  
Giselle crouched down in front of him and the way the light shone behind her, she seemed like an angel to Manny...and to Brock.   
  
"That's what the best heroes do," she said softly, kissing him gently on the nose and then ruffling his hair.  
  
"That's that I'll do. Evening Mam." He tipped his cape to her and then ran off crying "Super Manny".  
  
"Unbelievable" Brock said clearly impressed.  
  
"You'll pick it up, someday" Giselle teased.  
  
"Let's see what else I can pick up," he cried, lunging for the pretty brunette and throwing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.  
  
Giselle squealed with delight and began swinging her legs, howling with laughter. She froze when Brock carried her into the living room.  
  
Standing at the other side of the room, Ash, Misty, Duplica, Richie and Snap stared at them in shock. All of the kids ran past Brock and Giselle.  
  
"Misty and Ash are here," they cried out with excitement shining on their young faces.  
  
They loved Ash and Misty and thought they were the funniest married couple in the world. Well in their young minds Ash and Misty were married, they always showed up together, argued, told stories about silly things they did and played together. In their minds that was what marriage was and Brock found it endlessly amusing that they should tell the pair about their theories.  
  
"Hey guys, pile on Ash" Misty instructed, staring at Brock and Giselle in shock.  
  
Ash looked at her, oblivious to what she had just said and next thing he knew he was football tackled by twenty kids.  
  
"You know you're like Mary Poppins gone horribly wrong" Brock grinned at Misty letting go of Giselle who instantly straightened her clothes avoiding their eyes. She swept past them.  
  
"Bye" the children chorused but got no reply.  
  
"Okay Brock, share with the class" Richie commanded.  
  
"Giselle what is up with you?" Melody demanded, snapping Giselle out of her reverie.  
  
"You've been spaced out all morning" Melody whined.  
  
"Sorry Mel, what were you saying?" Giselle asked, much more subdued than normal. She was in turmoil...again. She loved the time she spent with Brock and his family but then his friends saw them. She was humiliated, all the time she spent mocking them and then they saw her acting like a child and what if they spread it all around the school, her reputation would be ruined.   
  
Her friends would desert her and his friends would never accept her.   
  
She'd be ridiculed and scorned for her fall from grace and without her friends she had nothing.  
  
"Do you know who's really been bugging me? Richie! Wherever I go, there he is being all cute and just hanging out with his loser friends. Stupid big loser."  
  
Giselle watched her friend with interest. She could either tell her what she wanted to hear and that Richie was a loser who was doing this on purpose to get at Melody. Or she could tell her that Richie was just hanging out his friends and maybe she was just going near him all the time because she really liked him. But which answer would ensure she didn't damage her friendship.  
  
"Hey Giselle"  
  
Giselle looked up and frowned at Brock and in her most obnoxious voice she replied "What?!"  
  
Brock backed away, looking hurt and sank into his seat behind Ash and Misty, and Ash was gripping his stomach and groaning in pain. Misty wore a worried expression and was rubbing his back comfortingly.  
  
"Ash I told you that the milk in the biology lab was left out for an experiment. They were making yoghurt "  
  
"Not a lotta' help now, Misty" he moaned resting his face on the desk.  
  
Giselle decided then and there that she was going to get this stupid lovesick nonsense out of her system. She turned around and saw Ash.  
  
"You know Ketchum's pretty cute" she told Melody with an evil smile.  
  
"Yeah if you want to scrape from the bottom of the proverbial barrel"  
  
"Yeah but think how upset little Misty would be if after all groundwork she did, I went in for the kill. " Giselle said with mocking frown.  
  
"Hey if you think you can" Melody said with a sneer.  
  
Duplica walked down the hall smiling at some memory when she heard a familiar  
  
"Hey Plica"   
  
"Misty?"  
  
Misty was sitting on the floor leaning up against the wall, school bag by her side, next to the boys' bathroom.  
  
"Staking out a spot huh?" Duplica asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
Misty pushed open the door when a loud retching sound filled the air and Misty pulled her hand away again, letting the door slam shut.  
  
"That's my boy" she remarked, with a roll of her eyes.  
  
"And here you are waiting out in the hall, bored out of your mind until Ash's brief fling with the toilet bowl ends." Duplica said with admiration in her voice.  
  
This was what made them best friends, the lengths they went to for each other.  
  
Misty looked at her as she sat down and smiled softly, eyes downcast.   
  
  
  
"He's my boy"  
  
Her face darkened.  
  
"I just wish he'd notice I've got geography notes too" she muttered as Jan walked past them.  
  
"He knows Misty. But he's Ash, he's not good at this sort of thing and for what its worth, I'm sure there's plenty of people in this school who notice and admire your geography notes" Duplica said, then paused looking confused.  
  
"Thanks... I think" Misty replied and Duplica shrugged helplessly.  
  
The door swung open and Ash stood there looking like he could faint at any moment.  
  
In an instant Misty was on her feet, feeling his foreward and allowing him to lean on her.  
  
"I think I'm gonna go home" he muttered weakly.  
  
"Sure" Misty agreed, in a quiet voice.  
  
Duplica handed him a packet of chewing gum.  
  
"Sorry man but you're breath is seriously nasty" Duplica said with a weak smile.  
  
Misty shot her a glare but helped Ash to the nurses' office.  
  
"What is the matter with you?"   
  
Giselle turned around and saw Brock glaring at her.  
  
They were in a quiet part of the hall near the nurse's office and they were alone.  
  
"There is nothing the matter with me. It's you who has some creepy fixation on me"  
  
"What? No I don't!  
  
"I am not interested and I guess I'll just have to prove it to you"  
  
"Misty?" Ash muttered looking at the red head that pulled back nearly gagging.  
  
"Awhh please use the chewing gum" she pleaded.  
  
Ash grumbled and shoved five sticks of gum into his mouth at the same time.   
  
He chewed the huge wad of gum quickly and then spat it out into the bin next to him.  
  
Misty smiled at him.  
  
"Minty fresh"  
  
They paused at the office and she sat him down.  
  
"I'll go in and talk to the nurse, kay?" she asked gently before getting to her feet and walking into the small room.  
  
Ash closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall. All he could think of was Misty. He had this perfect mental image of her standing right in front of him, tilting her head to the side and smiling coyly, then placing her hand on his cheek, caressing it, leaning in, their lips nearly touching when he felt lips firmly plant themselves on his.   
  
It felt strange but he was convinced it was Misty and didn't want to open his eyes   
  
The kiss lasted for a few seconds later when the lips pulled away.  
  
Ash opened his eyes.  
  
"Misty?" he asked.  
  
"No" two voices answered.  
  
When Ash focussed he realised that the girl in front of him was Giselle and Misty was standing at the entrance of the office, looking shocked, angry but most of all hurt.  
  
Giselle smirked at Brock who was watching in horror and said in a triumphant voice.  
  
" Told ya"  
  
To be continued.  
  
Ohh what a cliffhanger eh?  
  
Awhh never mind. Please read and review and I hope you enjoyed it.  
  
C'mon everyone together  
  
Snow is falling all around  
  
Children playing having fun  
  
'Tis the season for love and understanding  
  
Merry Christmas everyone   
  
{My favourite Christmas song ever)  
  
Lots of love  
  
Nibbs 


	12. chapter12

Hello and MERRY CHRISTMAS even though Christmas day is over, the spirit of Christmas is still in the air and I still love every moment of it.   
  
I hope everyone had an absolutely great Christmas.   
  
Sorry about the delay with this chapter but it was the run up to Christmas, presents to buy, projects to have done for college...come to think of it I still have those projects due, ohh dear.  
  
  
  
Well to make up for it, this chapter is jumbo sized, well it's longer than usual and I think some pretty important things happen in this chapter.  
  
Please can anyone give me a good name for a kitten cause I'm getting one in the next few days, hopefully.   
  
See, my old cat ran away about a month ago which had me heartbroken because I had her for about eight years and I was crazy about her.  
  
So we're getting a kitten because now the mice are having a field day and our big black scary dog is much too softhearted to actually scare anything  
  
  
  
Well I should finish this up because I got a game I really love and I want to get back to that and these are reallylomg authors notes.  
  
Oh yeah, by the way, I'm thinking of writing another story that I've had in my head for a few days now. It's really different to what I usually write and it's darker than other stories of mine but thats all I'm going to say. I'm going to write it anyway cause I always write up stories I have in my head but I'd love some support so I get the courage to post it.  
  
The characters don't belong to me but the story does.  
  
Please read and review  
  
Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to everyone.  
  
*******  
  
The room was filled with a very uneasy silence  
  
The tension was so thick, a scyther would have had a hard time slicing through it.  
  
Brock was shaking his head in disbelief, unsure what to do.   
  
Giselle bit her lip, suddenly realising what she had done to these people, Ash looked so helpless and confused and he cast a cautious look at Misty.   
  
He could see her head bowed, her bangs covering her eyes.  
  
Without a word she walked towards Giselle silently.  
  
It was creepy, like she was possessed, and she stopped right in front of the brunette.  
  
Giselle was scared; there was no way around it. She knew about Misty and her temper and had seen it in action but in all her days, she had never seen anyone react like this.  
  
To test the water she opened her mouth to throw some caustic remark about what had happened.   
  
Suddenly Misty's head snapped up and her eyes blazed with an endless anger and her eyes glazed over with unshed tears.  
  
Ash and Brock both took a step back from the intense glare.   
  
They had seen her mad but never like this.   
  
Just as Giselle was about to speak, Misty pulled back her fist and sent the girl reeling a few feet with a left hook.  
  
Giselle let out a scream of pain and clamped a hand over her eye.   
  
The entire right side of her face was burning; she had never been hit like that.  
  
Misty's head was lowered again and she was struggling to keep the tears from falling.  
  
"How dare you?!" Giselle screamed at her.  
  
Misty raised her eyes again to Giselle's, meaning the other two couldn't see her face and Giselle stared up at the hate filled eyes of the red head.   
  
She was terrified, she had never seen anyone this mad and given her last punch, Giselle didn't want to push her.  
  
"What in the world is going on?" the nurse cried, surveying the teens.  
  
"N'other patient" Misty answered in a quiet icy voice and then walked away just as silently as she had approached Giselle.  
  
"MISTY!" Ash cried, trying to run after her but she didn't even toss a look his way and he was still weak from his impromptu rendezvous with the bathroom.  
  
He called out for her again and again she didn't look back and left the building, the door swinging shut behind her.   
  
She left the grounds and paused, leaning against a wall around the corner.   
  
Her knees buckled and she landed on her knees.  
  
She pounded the ground with as much strength as she could, ignoring the stinging sensation spreading through her hands.   
  
Sobs racked her body and hot tears streamed down her face.   
  
She let out a loud wail and buried her face in her hands, crouched up on the ground.  
  
*****  
  
"Duplica, hey. No our favourite little runt isn't back yet" Daisy sighed and cast a worried glance at the door, hiding her concern with her typical exasperated tone she used when discussing Misty.  
  
"Yeah I'll make sure she calls you when she gets in. Yeah buh bye"  
  
Daisy gazed around the empty hall.   
  
Dave had gone to visit his mother, a task which, while Daisy wouldn't admit it, she thought was incredibly noble.   
  
She missed the guy, she missed having someone about who knew how to deal with Misty and having someone about to watch out for all of them and some who offered a helping hand wherever possible, but most of all, she just missed him.   
  
Lily danced across the floor, twirling, her short pink fanning out behind her.  
  
"Oh I just love Matt so much." she cried, joyously.  
  
"What did he do now, Lil?" Violet asked with an exaggerated sigh, they were all happy for their sister and her new boyfriend but they always teased each other, Misty was just best at it.  
  
"He sent me a single white rose" she giggled.  
  
The door opened slowly and Misty trudged in, head hanging low.   
  
She didn't want her sisters to see her red eyes.  
  
"Oh go on, say it! Say how he only reason he got me one flower was because he too cheap to buy a bouquet or that this was just a downpayment!" Lily snapped at the younger red head waiting for her sisters' put-down.  
  
Misty walked past them and ran upstairs, hand loosely brushing the banister.  
  
The three sisters stared up the stairs in surprise, then jumped when they heard the door slam.  
  
The only sound that could be heard was the ticking of the clock.  
  
"Anyone else finding this weird and creepy?" Violet asked.  
  
"Anyone up for a game of 'Figure out the kid'?" Lily asked, tilting her head to the side.  
  
Daisy smiled as they began up the stairs.  
  
"We've been playing that game everyday since we were kids. Why change now?"  
  
  
  
Daisy knocked on the door softly and turned the handle finding it unlocked. Lily and Violet stayed outside, knowing that Misty would only talk with Daisy about this, but that wouldn't stop them listening at the door.  
  
"Misty...sweetie? Something wrong?" Daisy asked gingerly approaching the lone figure, sitting with her legs tucked up to her chest and hiding her face in her knees.  
  
The deep red liquid spilling off Misty's hands and staining her jeans caught Daisy's eye and she drew back.  
  
"Why is your hand bleeding?" she shrieked.  
  
"Run in with a path on the way home" Misty muttered.  
  
"Misty, for the like the last time! You cannot fight cement. Its just doesn't work" Lily cried, snapping her hands on her hips.  
  
"Why were you throwing down with a footpath?" Violet asked.  
  
A hint of a smirk crept up Misty's face.  
  
"Pftt. You should see the other guy"  
  
The three sisters smiled softly relieved to see that their youngest sister still had her dry sense of humour.  
  
Misty mumbled something and Daisy sat on the bed softly. Misty turned her head to face her older sister and Daisy was shocked to see the tears running down her young face.   
  
Misty never cried, well at least until tonight she never did.  
  
"Its Ash" she moaned.  
  
Daisy wanted to roll her eyes. Those two were causing each other grief all the time, granted that usually it didn't result in this much heartbreak, it was still no biggie.  
  
"What did the little brat do now?" she asked, trying to sound comforting.  
  
"He kissed a girl that I hate and I thought he hated, right in front of me"  
  
"WHAT?!" three shrills voices cried.  
  
Lily and Violet burst into the room looking outraged.  
  
"That little loser is going down" Lily growled.  
  
"Yeah come on lets tear the slime limb from limb" Violet cried, making a beeline for the door.   
  
"Yeah fun idea but altogether not helpful to the cause at the moment" Daisy interrupted, nodding at Misty.   
  
Violet and Lily opened their mouths to object but the look their eldest sister stopped them in their tracks. They could tell that Daisy wanted to teach that kid a thing or two about hurting a Waterflower but she was holding it back for Misty's sake, so the very least they could do was not upset their baby sister.  
  
"Misty, guys do this to us all the time. They cause heartache wherever they go, and I know this hurts like crazy but you'll find someone new who will know how to treat a great girl like yourself" Daisy soothed.  
  
"Yeah who even likes a girl named after a deer? I mean, like, would like the whole explode with male hormones if like a girl named Bambi showed up?" Lily asked, folding her arms.  
  
"Bet its her geography notes" Misty muttered with contempt.  
  
The three older sisters exchanged puzzled glances.  
  
"Maybe the student body takes, like, huge interest in their education" Violet suggested, shrugging her shoulders.  
  
"Maybe we should have a word with this Bambi wannabe" Lily suggested.  
  
"Don't bother. I can handle my own punching plans "   
  
"Is it wrong that I'm proud our little sister punched another girl," Violet asked with a small smirk.  
  
"See Misty good idea--punching Bambi girl, bad idea- punching footpath" Lily grinned teasingly.  
  
"Sweetie, you'll get over this and it'll make that but stronger. I mean this happens to everyone, even your amazing sisters have struck out in love" Daisy continued, getting back to the topic at hand.  
  
"But Ash is supposed to hurt me like this. He's not" Misty argued weakly, and her large sad pleading eyes begged them for an explanation.  
  
"So we thought" the girls agreed.  
  
*******  
  
"WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING?!" Brock practically roared at Ash.  
  
"It wasn't my fault" Ash defended himself.   
  
"How could you do that to me, man you were my friend and I knew I really cared about that girl. And Misty? How could you do that to her?"  
  
"What you think I liked seeing that, doing that to her. Brock listen.."  
  
"I can't! I have to get out of here" Brock stormed off but paused next to Giselle and gave her a brief look.  
  
Even from that short glance Giselle could see and feel the anger form him.  
  
"You're lucky all you got was her left hook."  
  
With that, he walked away breathing deeply, trying to control his rage.  
  
Ash stood and uttered a few choice words that he would never use in anyone else's company.  
  
"So you ruined my life, any reason or was this all just to prove a point?" Ash demanded, glaring at Giselle.  
  
"I...." Giselle found that she had nothing to say in her defence.  
  
"You turned one of my best friends against me and my other friends won't forgive me for this either. And you turned Misty against me, Misty is.. so so much more than a friend and she's never going to forgive me. She's gotta be about the most important person in my life and you screwed that up for no reason. Don't you get that?!"  
  
Giselle wrung her slender hands; suddenly the pain in her face was nothing compared to the pain in her chest. She knew that Ash and Misty cared about each other, she knew they cared about each other a lot, she knew what good friends they were with Brock and she knew how much she cared about Brock and she now knew the consequences of her actions.  
  
"You know I don't know why I'm so surprised. You don't have any real friends so losing them wouldn't mean a thing to you, as long as you're happy..."  
  
Ash couldn't go on, there was too much to be said and he had to talk to Misty to sort this out. He walked away wordlessly leaving Giselle to wallow in her own guilt.  
  
Giselle began walking down the hall, unsure of where she was going.  
  
"Oh my God! Giselle what on earth happened to you?" a female voice cried.  
  
Giselle turned around and found a blue haired girl she didn't know too well but knew had taken up with Ash's gang.  
  
A boy with black hair she recognised as Tracey peered out the door and froze when he saw her.  
  
"Giselle, your eye" he said looking at her in shock.  
  
"I kissed Ash and Misty punched me "Giselle answered then gave a small laugh. "Turns out she has a great left hook"  
  
"Yeah I know... you kissed Ash?"  
  
"Yeah I did and Misty saw us and punched me and in all honesty, I have never felt so low in my life. I completely wrecked things for them"  
  
Tracey was staring at her, anger burning in his eyes. Lisa was confused.  
  
"I need to do something to fix this, I need to fix this" she pleaded with them.  
  
"Well you could kiss Misty but I don't think that's going help very much" Tracey remarked, sarcastically.  
  
Giselle walked away from them muttering something about trying to fix this.  
  
"Man I can't believe her...or Ash. He's always been so into Misty I don't get why he'd even look at another girl"  
  
"I can't believe that your solution to every problem is to get some girl to kiss your female friends."  
  
"It's making the best of a bad situation. Until I talk to Ash, I can't make a call on this"  
  
Tracey slid down the wall onto the wall and sighed. Lisa sat down opposite, cross-legged with a small hint of a smile.  
  
"But you can decide its one of those problems that can be fixed by Misty kissing some girl?"  
  
*******  
  
"Hey Duplica! Wait up!"  
  
Duplica paused and looked around, her face lighting up with a smile as Snap raced towards her, trying to avoid the crowds of people.  
  
"Hi" he panted, struggling to catch his breath. Duplica had to smile at him.  
  
"How's it going with musical?" he asked once he found his breath.  
  
"It's really coming together..but you should know, you're part of it"  
  
"Yeah but not the acting part. I can't wait to see you in it" Snap replied sheepishly.  
  
"To see me, huh?" Duplica asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Well yeah, who else?" he asked, avoiding her eyes.  
  
That one caught her off guard. He was thinking about her and he didn't even mention a certain red heads name, maybe he was noticing her inside of Misty.  
  
"Hey guys" a voice called out, interrupting the moment. They both turned to see Richie walking over to them.  
  
"Have you guys been able to get in contact with anyone. I tried calling the gang last night, Ash, Misty and Brock aren't picking up and Tracey's acting really weird?"   
  
"Can't say I have, Rich "  
  
At that moment, the bell rang and the small gang trudged off to class. When they arrived, they were stunned by what they saw.  
  
Misty saw sitting with some girl she was pretty friendly with and was listening to her chat away, and would throw in the odd reply. At the other side of the class Ash was sitting with someone else he knew, resting his chin on his arms he had spread out on the desk. Brock was sitting with Tracey and neither seemed to be saying much. None of them looked to be very happy.  
  
Giselle walked past, scuffling along; when she sat down they caught a glimpse of her face and noticed that around her eye, her foundation was much darker which could only mean.  
  
"That girl got punched" Richie said in surprise.  
  
The group was very puzzled and decided to enquire about this after class. The class dragged on and seemed like an eternity considering no one was talking to each other.  
  
When the bell rang again, the group scattered so fast that Snap, Duplica and Riche didn't get a chance to catch anyone. Eventually they did find Ash and dragged him to an empty classroom to find out exactly what as going on.  
  
Ash collapsed onto a chair and gave them all glares.  
  
"I have stuff to do, you know"  
  
"Yeah like explaining what is going on here?"   
  
"What, don't feel like explaining?" a cold voice drawled from the door.  
  
Brock stood there with Tracey who looked confused.  
  
"Brock it wasn't my.."  
  
"Tell them or I will. And it will sound a lot worse coming from me"  
  
"Me and Giselle, she, we kissed. And Brock and Misty saw it" Ash mumbled causing a shocked silence to blanket the room.  
  
"You JERK!" Duplica cried, springing to her feet.  
  
"Its now how it"  
  
"So what?! The girl pinned you to the floor and there was nothing you could do to stop her. Misty is so in lo.... aww man I can't believe you'd do that to your friends" Duplica stalked across the room and slammed the door shut. Snap shook his head and was followed shortly by Brock, leaving Tracey Richie and Ash.  
  
"Aren't you guys gonna barge out?" Ash asked.  
  
"I believe ya man, and we don't think that us turning on each other is a good idea. " Tracey replied.  
  
"Yeah I say we just try to sort this out" Richie agreed.   
  
******  
  
"I was absolutely disgusted with your behavior. Using physical violence is never necessary. I expected much more of you and then you go about this degrading show and well I'm afraid that you will have to be punished. Now Misty, the last thing I want to do is expel you, you're a very bright talented attractive young girl who has her whole life ahead of her and I can see that your are destined for greater things and I would love to see make the most of your gifts while you're in this fine institution and the drama teacher has nothing but praise for you so I'm going to leave you off easily this time but this is it, young lady. Another incident and I will be forced to expel you"  
  
Misty nodded absentmindedly trying her hardest to focus. She knew she should be grateful and relieved and complimented that she wasn't getting in that much trouble, a letter home, an essay. She'd have to make sure to bite her tongue for a small while anyway until the heat was off but all she could think of was how Ash could even think of Giselle and kissing.  
  
"Yes sir" she replied automatically.  
  
Misty headed towards the door and just as her hand rested on the door handle, he spoke up again.  
  
"Misty, this will be the last time I give you an out, understand?"  
  
She turned to face the red-faced man and nodded solemnly.  
  
She left the office swiftly and let out a long-winded sigh.  
  
"Misty!"  
  
Duplica was running towards her, wearing a worried expression.  
  
"Misty, um...I heard about what happened with Ash"  
  
Misty let 9out a small harsh laugh.  
  
"What is he boasting about it now?"  
  
She walked away briskly leaving Duplica to hurry after her.  
  
"What are you going to do?"  
  
"Nothing, Ash made his choice."  
  
"But you have such history"  
  
Misty spun around, eyes blazing.  
  
"I know that! You think its not killing me that the guy I have known and possibly loved all my life suddenly goes after some girl that I hate and I thought he hated!"  
  
"Misty I"  
  
"I'm sorry but I'm just...its all so wrong and I can't really figure it out"  
  
Duplica paused, opening her mouth to say something when a young man standing at the entrance of the school caught her attention.  
  
"Ok how petty and forties-ish is it to swoon?" she asked, smiling dreamily at the man.  
  
Misty looked and next thing Duplica knew, her friend had charged down the hall and flung herself into the arms of the young man, crushing him in a bear hug. The man in response hugged her back and swung her around, laughing.  
  
"Wish I had thought of that" Duplica muttered, caught between shock and amusement.  
  
"Dave what are you doing here?" Misty cried when the older man placed her back on the ground.  
  
"I just wanted to collect you and.... see the old gang" he answered, flashing his most dazzling and disarming smile at her.  
  
Misty raised an eyebrow, folded her arms and tapped her foot impatiently.  
  
"Really?" she asked, her tone laced with scepticism.  
  
"Ok cards on the table, I heard about what happened from Daisy and I wanted to collect you because I thought you and I needed to talk ...and I might have wanted a word with the as...Ash"  
  
Misty looked at him with a joyless smile.  
  
"If I wanted his butt ground into the footpath I'd do it myself"  
  
"That's true" two voices agreed.   
  
Duplica now stood behind Misty.  
  
"Hey I'm Dave. I work for Misty's sisters and occasionally try to keep an eye on this one" he said with chuckle.  
  
"Occasionally? Most days I can't get you to leave me out of the house on my own" Misty teased, smiling genuinely for the first time since yesterday.  
  
"Anyway, you want a lift home or are you going to walk home. I got a really cool car" he boasted.  
  
"Can you give Plica a lift home?" Misty asked, seeing her friend wouldn't be bold enough to ask.  
  
"I'll take you ladies anywhere you want to go," he said with a wink.  
  
"Lead the way then"  
  
As they walked out of the school, Dave in the lead taking them towards a sleek deep blue convertible.  
  
"Wow Plica, aren't you very quiet. Meowth got your tongue?" Misty teased.  
  
Duplica stuck her tongue out at Misty and blew a raspberry.  
  
Unbeknownst to them, a figure in the hall watched them leave, shocked by what he had just seen.  
  
*****  
  
"Wow, I have to hand it to her when push comes to shove, Misty really knows how to upgrade" Melody remarked as she and Giselle watched Duplica and Misty climb into Dave's car and taking off, giggling.  
  
"How do you think Misty even knows such a little hottie?" she continued.  
  
Giselle wasn't being too receptive, which cause Melody to look at her in concern.  
  
"Are you ok?" she asked, sitting down on the small along the steps to the building.  
  
"Yeah I'm great, why do you ask?" Giselle said automatically.  
  
"You're not yourself, you've been so quiet and you haven't smiled once today not to mention you're sporting quite a shiner there. Is it about those rumours about you and Ash? No one in their right mind would believe that " Melody replied.  
  
Giselle sighed and collapsed on the steps.   
  
She shook her head and then looked up at Melody.  
  
"I did something very stupid which I know it is now and I think my eye stands as testimony to that"  
  
"You got punched"   
  
It was more of a statement than a question.  
  
"I kissed Ash to prove a point to Brock because he was becoming alarmingly likeable and I kissed Ash in front of Misty who was really torn up about it, well I imagine she was, never saw her punch anyone before. I've seen her kick guys in their sensitive areas if they did something to annoy but can't say I ever saw her punch anyone in the face"  
  
"What?! I thought you were just kidding about that...what is it about that group?" Melody demanded.  
  
Giselle shook her head.  
  
"I don't know" she answered softly, while standing up.  
  
"I'll talk to you later. By the way, are you ok? You look kinda flushed and you have some paint on your cheek"   
  
Melody blushed deep red, a sensation she could honestly say she wasn't too familiar with.  
  
"I'm fine" she squeaked.  
  
"If you're sure"  
  
With that she left, shoulders drooping.  
  
******  
  
"Awhh is poor lil loser left on his on his lonesome" Melody taunted.  
  
Richie was just closing his locker when the brunette appeared next to him, making him jump.  
  
"What kind of question is that?" he shot back, staring at her in disbelief.  
  
"I heard a really ridiculous rumour and I want to know if it has any basis "  
  
"Hmm, putting more research into your gossip than usual?"   
  
"I heard that your friend kissed my friend!" Melody stamped her foot on the ground and her fists were clenched by her side.  
  
Richie froze and turned slowly to look at her.  
  
"Maybe your friend kissed my friend" Richie defended.  
  
"My friend would not need to go chasing after anyone, especially your friend." she argued, her voice rising.  
  
"Well she did because I happen to know that my friend didn't chase after your friend because he is crazy about someone else. Your friends cute but that's all that's she got going for her and even then there are prettier" his voice was raised to a yell.  
  
"She has so much more going for her and she's the cutest girl in school, so why shouldn't any guy fall at her feet" she screamed at him, looking slightly hurt, like the words pained her to say.   
  
"IF THATS SO TRUE THEN HOW COME I THINK YOU'RE ONE OF THE CUTEST GIRLS I HAVE EVER SEEN?!"  
  
Both teens froze in their place, Richie shocked by his outburst and mortified that he had screamed that at her and Melody was shocked and secretly delighted by this revelation.  
  
Richie's hand searched the door behind him frantically for a handle, which he gripped.  
  
The sound of the click was the only sound in the hall and the door opened backward nearly causing him to tumble backwards. He stumbled backwards as Melody advanced on him taking confident steps.   
  
Richie back-pedalled as far back as the wall of the small art supplies closet, Melody inches away from him.  
  
"Well I happen to think your the hottest loser I know" she purred wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her body against his, finally placing her lips on his, a move which the male teen accepted readily.  
  
Richie had placed his hand on a shelf and had accidentally landed his thumb is some blue paint.  
  
He let out a cry of surprise and she drew back, still only being about five centimetres from his face.  
  
"What?"  
  
He grinned devilishly at her.  
  
"Nothing"  
  
She smiled and planted her lips back on his while he placed his hands on her face stroking her cheeks with his fingers, leaving a blue smear on her cheek.  
  
"Eughh" she cried, reeling back and touching the paint with a finger, she narrowed her eyes at him and smirked.  
  
You are so dead" she hissed and she practically dove on him, wrapping her legs around him as they continued to kiss.  
  
Ten minutes later, they were both leaning against opposite walls, and looked at each other.  
  
"You tell anyone this happened and I'll make things very hard for you" she warned.  
  
Richie smothered a snigger and looked at her with a not so innocent smile.  
  
"Perv" she muttered.  
  
"Relax, I don't want anyone to think that I see you as anything but princess priss."  
  
"FINE!"  
  
"FINE!"  
  
"This will still be going on, right?"  
  
"Of course"  
  
They both straightened up and peered out the door to make sure they were alone.  
  
Once they had confirmed that, they both stepped out, trying to right their appearances.  
  
They caught each other's eyes and blushed; Melody waked towards the door, throwing an uncharacteristically shy glance over her shoulder at him.  
  
Richie paused when he heard giggles, he knew those giggles. That was Misty and Duplica.  
  
He saw some tall muscular guy who looked to be in his twenties walking towards the door with his arm thrown her shoulder and she was leaning into him smiling and giggling. Duplica was on the guys other side but he didn't have his arm around her.  
  
This was bad.  
  
Melody jumped when she heard the front door swing open and stared in disbelief and some relief when Misty and Duplica emerged with some really cute guy.  
  
"Not as cute as my boy" she thought with glee then mentally scolded herself.  
  
*****  
  
"Ash!" Richie cried, running after his friend who was walking up the hall the next morning.  
  
Ash paused and looked at Richie puzzled.  
  
"I really have to talk to you" he choked out between gasps.  
  
"Oh ok" Ash said slowly, waiting for his friend to catch his breath.  
  
"Hey guys what's up?" Tracey asked.  
  
"Richie has something to tell me but he won't" Ash said simply.  
  
"Gimme a break, I'm trying to breathe" Richie snapped.  
  
"Tracey grabbed both his friends by the elbow and led them towards an empty classroom that wouldn't be in use for an hour or o.  
  
Ash froze when he saw some fiery red in the crowd and watched as Misty walked past him. She was talking with Duplica when she looked over at him. She looked at her hopefully but she broke off their gaze and turned back to Duplica, once again disappearing into the crowd.  
  
"I really don't know what to do here! She won't even give me chance to explain myself. I call her house she's not there but even if she is which she's not because she's much too good for my company, she would totally not talk to me, her sisters' words not mine. I go to her house, she's not there, I even tried writing her a letter, and I have no idea how that went. I send Pikachu around but Pikachu warned specifically if I ever cheated on Misty, I'd pay the price and I try to talk to talk to her in school and she won't even look my in the eye or go within ten feet of me"  
  
"She's got a muscle bound guy," Richie cried out.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"I saw her yesterday with some guy. A guy who looks like he oils himself to sunbathe everyday"  
  
"It's pouring rain today"  
  
"Well he probably smears himself up in sun tan lotion and frolics in the rain, shirtless" Richie struggled to convey the gravity of the situation.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
A small shy looking black haired girl peered at them all nervously.   
  
"Sorry wrong class" she whispered before scurrying.  
  
"Well you scared that kid good and proper" Tracey stated.  
  
Ash smiled at his friend while at the same time, looking utterly bewildered.  
  
"Ok I really don't think I need to worry about some guy who frolics in the rain shirtless while smearing himself in sun tan lotion. For some reason it just seems that he wouldn't have that big an interest in Misty or geography notes" Ash grinned.  
  
"You don't get it! This guy is.. he should he Chad or something in a Speedo"  
  
"Dude do YOU want to go frolicking with Chad?" Tracey asked.  
  
The bell rang piercingly causing the boys to jump.  
  
"I'll talk to Misty after school, we have practise for the play and Crefell won't let her go anywhere" Ash promised.  
  
*****  
  
Ash took a very cautious step into the theatre, well aware that he was late.   
  
He would have been on time if he hadn't been in trouble for running down the hall, trying to get to the theatre early which was kind of funny if you thought about it.  
  
The theatre was in silence and no on even noticed him slipping in.   
  
He sat in a chair at the back, hoping to climb over the rows of chairs one at a time so that he could end up near the front row and look like he had always been there. He looked up at the stage to see what the big deal was when his heartbeat quickened.  
  
Misty was sitting on the small bench next to Aine whose fingers were poised above the keys.  
  
Misty's eyes were closed and Ash could see her attention was completely on the music. Aine began to play and soon the sweet and powerful of one Misty Waterflower was filling the huge theatre.   
  
He wanders off,   
  
He's just lost without me  
  
Doesn't matter what I say  
  
I try to give advice  
  
I tell him twice  
  
He won't listen  
  
He's gotta do it his own way  
  
He drives me crazy  
  
All of the time  
  
He drives me crazy  
  
He drives me out of my mind  
  
So why do I worry about him?   
  
Why do I care?  
  
I don't know why I let it faze me  
  
But he drives me crazy  
  
Yeah yeah  
  
He's here and there   
  
Everywhere just lookin'  
  
Always finding something new  
  
I know he's kinda strange  
  
He'll never change  
  
Oh tell me what's a girl supposed to do  
  
He drives me crazy  
  
All of the time  
  
He drives me crazy  
  
He drives me out of my mind  
  
So why do I worry about him?   
  
Why do I care?  
  
I don't know why I let it faze me  
  
But he drives me crazy  
  
Just go off in your own direction  
  
And see if anybody cares  
  
Just don't come running back to me  
  
"ASH KETCHUM!"  
  
Ash jumped up from his seat and could see Mr Crefell approach him.  
  
"You're late" he said.  
  
Ash nodded and began to splutter an excuse when Mr Crefell nodded towards the front of the theatre.  
  
"Get a seat in the front row, now"  
  
Ash obeyed and walked down towards the stage, ignoring the stares of everyone else, including Misty. Mr Crefell could sense the tension and soon put an end to the uncomfortable looks between Misty and Ash.  
  
"Misty, that was good but we need to work on you stage presence. When you close your eyes, you're imagining that you're not here and that you're somewhere safe. I need to know that you're here and I need you to think of the stage as a safe place. Trust me Misty, its very safe place for you. Understand?"  
  
"Yeah, thanks"  
  
Misty walked off behind the curtains and Mr Crefell sent someone else up.   
  
Ash waited till he was called and went up and talked about the progress of the Pokemon who were going to be used in the sow and also delivered one of his monologues that had the small group of students laughing.  
  
He disappeared off backstage in search of Misty. He found her in the small soundproof changing room they had backstage.  
  
She was playing with the costumes, obviously wasting time back here so she didn't have to see him.  
  
"Misty?" he began tentatively.  
  
"I don't want to see you" Misty replied, not even turning around.  
  
By this stage, Ash had had his share of being blown off and ignored by his best friend.  
  
"This is so stupid! She kissed me! And even if she did, what business is it of yours, you just can't stand the idea that maybe Giselle might be attracted to me"  
  
"You don't get it!"  
  
"What gave it away?!"  
  
"I love you ok? I have loved you so for so long and then to see you kiss someone who means nothing to you, your first kiss, instead of sharing it with me. That just kills me"   
  
Ash froze in his tracks. There was no way someone like Misty, someone as incredible as Misty could love him. This was just some manipulative trick she had pulled.  
  
"How convenient that you suddenly love me when you see that Giselle might be interested"  
  
"What?!"  
  
"You don't care about me, you're just saying this because you don't want Giselle to have anything that's yours whether it be a dirty old sock or just some friend. You know I expected better of you Mist. You don't love me, hell I love you always have but you're just being a spoilt brat who doesn't want anyone to have anything she has even if she doesn't use it"   
  
Misty was so angry with him that she dismissed the declaration of love form him, regarding it as insincere though many some tiny part of her believed him.  
  
"You really believe that?!"  
  
"Yeah I do"  
  
"You are such a GRRRR... I can't even be in the same room with you" she stormed off.  
  
"Who's asking you to" Ash roared after her.  
  
Misty stormed offstage and only by intense determination, did she manage to sit down instead of walking out the door. Ash stayed in the changing room.   
  
"Excellent!" Mr Crefell cried.  
  
"The opening night is next Friday and I have no doubt that we shall everything worked out by next week "  
  
"I do" Misty muttered.  
  
To be continued  
  
Yay! I'm finished this chapter which took my quite some time. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it was so great to know that there were still people interested in this story.  
  
Anyway, I hope everyone had a great Christmas and please read and review.  
  
Lots of love  
  
Festive Nibbs 


	13. chapter 13

Ok I have a lot of authors' notes today.  
  
Once again, sorry about the delay and be sure to review, please?  
  
Just as a matter of interest, this is the longest story I have ever written to date. YAY!!! (starts playing 'celebration')  
  
And as well, not that anyone should be interested, but I did an oral presentation on Pokemon for my communications class in college.   
  
Also, this is pretty stupid I know, but I'm becoming slightly discouraged with AAML lately but I still love it and Misty is still my favourite character from anything I've ever seen or read and I'm also planning on posting fan art up on the web. One picture I'm proud of is actually related to a story I'm working on and do not yet know whether I'll post it.  
  
I'm giving serious thought to drawing out the characters in the costumes gave them in this story and drawing them in the clothes I gave them as well. Hmmmm  
  
We still haven't found a cat, which is very strange, because we've been looking since November and I need something small and cute and furry to pet and cuddle   
  
Anyway  
  
Please read and review and as usual the characters aren't mine but you already know that, if you don't, you should.  
  
Hope you enjoy it  
  
Chapter 13  
  
It was the last day before the musical and things had only gone from bad to worse with Ash and Misty.   
  
They were both snubbing each other.  
  
Even though every now and again, one of them would look at the other one with a sad, hurt look on their face when their pride would take over and their faces would cloud over with anger.   
  
One particularly bad day, they both ran into each other and both avoided eye contacts for fear the other one would see the loneliness reflected.  
  
Misty walked away first, raising her foot and pushing down on it with as much as she could, while trying to look subtle.  
  
Ash yelped when he felt his toes being crushed and glared at the back of Misty's retreating form.  
  
"For some someone so scrawny, she can sure put weight behind everything she does" he grumbled.  
  
Ash's mind was in a direct conflict, so much that, he lay awake at night listening to the voices in his head arguing about the choices at hand.  
  
They were arguing so long now that Ash named the three voices and was seriously considering taking out bets on who would win.  
  
The first voice, Louie, was a stern voice that had no pity for Ash. Louie was telling Ash that Misty was being sincere and that Ash had screwed everything up by not apologising to Misty.   
  
Louie annoyed Ash.  
  
The second voice was Ash's pride, he was called Bruno and he told Ash that he was right and that was being manipulative and this was all simply because she didn't want any link to Giselle and was just being immature.  
  
The third voice, a tiny soft voice way at the back of his mind, called Jimmy, said that Ash knew Misty, he knew she would never be that manipulative and that she had huge respect for the concept of love. She would never throw the word around lightly to get her own way.   
  
That voice, soft and quiet as it was always seemed to overpower Bruno and Louie but then Bruno took over.   
  
Richie, Tracey, Lisa and Snap watched from a distance.  
  
"This is tearing the whole group apart" Tracey sighed.  
  
That was true enough, Misty and Ash weren't speaking, Brock and Duplica weren't speaking to Ash and were angry at the other three for siding with Ash which in turn was causing tension with them.   
  
Ash was mad at Misty for trying to manipulate him or so he wanted to believe and he was angry that Brock, one of his supposed best and one if his oldest friends wouldn't believe him and he was angry at Duplica for being so unreasonable.  
  
Oddly one of only pair friendship's undamaged by this was that of Duplica and Snap.  
  
Duplica seemed to forgive him and him alone for siding with Ash.  
  
Snap for his part was doing some serious thinking regarding his lovelife or lack thereof.   
  
He felt himself noticing someone else more,   
  
Misty was still as beautiful as she was the first day he met her and had sprayed his drink on her.  
  
But he was slowly realising things about her that weren't for him.   
  
She was perfect for Ash and on some level he was seeing that she would   
  
never be perfect for him.  
  
"I know, who would have thought those two were our glue?" Richie remarked, trying to be nonchalant about something this was upsetting him greatly.  
  
Melody strolled over to them.  
  
"Hey, loser in the green" she addressed Richie who rolled his eyes and gave her an annoyed look.  
  
"The art teacher is looking for you"  
  
"You know, I find myself not caring"  
  
"Really? Well maybe I'll just tell her to find someone else and she will, very, very fast" Melody narrowed her blue eyes at him.  
  
"Maybe the art teacher should do that if she's sure that every student wants to help in the name of art"   
  
The two teen locked eyes and neither one was backing down.  
  
Richie sighed and gave a small smile.  
  
"I should help her then," he admitted.  
  
"She doesn't want your help now! You took too long and she'll find someone else" Melody said, pouting slightly.  
  
"Well, I'll convince her that I'm the only person who should be helping her" Richie replied and walked away.   
  
Melody stood with her arms folded, sulking but then hurried after him.  
  
"Don't you find it a bit strange that for the last week the art teacher has been asking for Richie non stop and she always sends Melody to find him?" Tracey asked.  
  
"Especially since Richie doesn't have art" Snap agreed.   
  
Lisa looked at them in disbelief and then sighed, closing her eyes.  
  
"Do you guys ever listen to yourselves? Or is strictly whichever girl is hanging out at the time has to do the thinking for you?" Lisa said, shaking her head, a small smirk pulling at the corner of her lips.  
  
"Hey!" both boys objected.   
  
*****  
  
"Misty?" Duplica asked tentatively.  
  
They were both sitting in an empty class waiting for maths.   
  
Ever since this whole incident blew up, Duplica noticed that they were early for class, the guys must have always held them up although they never minded.  
  
Misty looked up from the notepad she was scribbling away absentmindedly on.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Listen I know you're furious at Ash and that's totally understandable. But you're still crazy about him so maybe you should try to work it out with him. Of course he should have to pay for what he did" Duplica trailed off, thinking that maybe it was just her and Misty's dislike of Giselle that was really causing the big rift. She shook her head trying to clear her head.   
  
She was supposed to support her friend at times like this.  
  
"What makes you think I even like that dweeb anymore?" Misty asked casually.  
  
"Cause you want to be Mrs Dweeb" Duplica replied.  
  
Her eyes flicking down to the sheet Misty was scribbling on which went like this.  
  
"Ash Jerk Ketchum,   
  
Jerk Ketchum, lord of the jerks  
  
Dweeb  
  
Mr Dweeb Ketchum  
  
Dweeby Mcdweeb Ketchum  
  
Poopy head  
  
Poopyhead Ketchum  
  
Mrs Misty Poopyhead Ketchum"  
  
Misty blushed, ripped the page out of the pad and scrunched it up.  
  
"I was just testing the pen" she muttered.  
  
"You'd seriously take the name Poopyhead?" Duplica asked, a thoughtful expression crossing her features.  
  
"Look I don't care about Ash!" Misty snapped.  
  
"Misty, the only reason you're so angry at Ash is because you care about him so much. If it had been anyone else, you would have mocked them for their taste, when it was Ash you gave the girl a shiner!" Duplica argued her tone sounding as exasperated as she looked.  
  
Misty looked down, letting all the argument settle in her mind.   
  
She knew that Duplica was right because she had been thinking those things herself but to have it said back to her hurt.  
  
"It's your pride" a small annoying voice taunted in her head.  
  
"This will be your biggest mistake but your pride won't let you back down" the voice continued in a sing song voice.  
  
"I don't have time to deal with this" she said abruptly and grabbed her stuff, leaving Duplica sitting on the table watching her leave.  
  
She let out a sigh and shook her head.  
  
"You know, her pride may be her biggest fault but at least she's got enough stones to show people she cares about them" a voice remarked from the door.  
  
Duplica spun around.  
  
Giselle was leaning on the doorframe of the room, arms folded, raising an eyebrow at her.  
  
"Excuse me!" Duplica demanded her eyes flashing.  
  
"Misty's got a whole set of problems but at least she's showing how much she cares about him and she showed some conviction in her love for the guy. Whereas you, you stand around and watch your guy with big doe eyes and whine when he doesn't notice you and he's making eyes at Misty.   
  
Its no wonder he's making eyes at her, she's the only one with passion while you can barely make a spark " Giselle continued.  
  
"So what, you stick your tongue in Ash's mouth, you think suddenly you know everything about us?" Duplica demanded.  
  
"Well for one I know that Ash had no intention in kissing me and I know that he hated the kiss and me" Gisselle answered in a low voice.  
  
Duplica's mouth hung open and she stared at Giselle in silence for a few moments.  
  
"Then why did you kiss him in front of Brock and Misty?" Duplica asked once she found her voice.  
  
"I didn't know they were there well I knew Brock was there I just wanted to prove to Brock that I didn't care about him"  
  
"Well not that you have that accomplished and so much more, what's next? I hear there's some puppies hanging around, you could always kick them for your own amusement or why not drop into the local crèche and ransack their supply of lollipops?"  
  
"You think I'm proud of what happened?"  
  
Giselle brown eyes were narrowed and yet, filled with desperation and sorrow.  
  
"You know I don't think you care what you do or how it affects others so yeah, your a little spiteful bitter witch who revels in others pain, I think this has got to be one of the proudest moments in your life"  
  
Giselle winced at the acid in the others girl's voice and when she raised her eyes to meet Duplica's, she met a frosty gaze that told her Duplica had meant every word she had said.  
  
With that, the green haired teen left the room.  
  
"You're wrong" Giselle whispered to herself, looking out the window.  
  
Duplica let out a sigh and leant against the wall. Her head snapped up as something dawned on her.  
  
"I've gotta find Misty and tell her that Ashy boy was telling the truth" she said to herself.  
  
"You believe him?" a cynical voice asked from behind her.  
  
She turned around, only to have Ash standing behind her, arms crossed across his chest.   
  
His eyebrows were knitted and he wore a sceptical expression.  
  
"Yes I believe you and I guess I'm sorry for being such a jerk to you"  
  
"Now if Misty could do that, we'd have no problem" Ash cried out and walked away, Duplica ran after him and quickly blocked his method of escape.  
  
"So what are you going to do now?" she asked, determined to get things back on track now that she had a renewed friendship with one of the trouble makers.  
  
"Well leaving was the original plan but it looks like my plan is very different to your plan"  
  
"No! Now that you have me helping you out, then you'll be sure to prove your honour to Misty"  
  
"And what turned this all around?"  
  
"Well Giselle told me"  
  
"And you took her word over mine, what kind of friend are you? I mean..."  
  
"I'm sorry. But you know you're a guy, guys have a very difficult time trying to keep their hormones in check and you had a lot to lose, Giselle didn't"  
  
"But you still wouldn't believe me and.."  
  
"Ash I'm really, really sorry" Duplica used the puppy dog eyes on him, her bottom lip jutting out and quivering while her eyes watered.  
  
"Awwh no fair using that look" Ash objected.  
  
"Yes it is, because your stubborn but you also happen to be a stubborn softie which is why you always help everyone and you can't resist puppy dog eyes and why you're still absolutely crazy about that girl"  
  
*****  
  
"You're never gonna win, Trace" Lisa scoffed, sitting on a desk, swinging her legs.  
  
"I'm not trying to win anything, it's just so .... enticing" Tracey replied, tilting his head, his eyes never leaving the lamp that stood on the desk.  
  
"And all this time, I thought you were staring at me" Lisa joked.  
  
"But look at it, Lisa in all its lava like mystery" Tracey continued, staring at a lava lamp.  
  
"What's so mysterious about it? It's a load of wax in oil that melts when it gets to a high enough temperature and floats through the oil. It's definitely not wroth the staring match you're giving it" Lisa answered, stretching her hands above her head.  
  
Tracey looked at her, impressed.  
  
"And where did you pick that up?" he asked curiously.  
  
"You'd be surprised what I know, maybe I'll let you in...someday" she grinned at him.  
  
"So remind me. Why are we hiding away from your friends?' she asked, surveying the small changing room they had taken over.  
  
"Well I'm just tired of all that romantic trauma going on. I just want to hang out with a friend and talk normally"  
  
Lisa rolled her eyes, 'loving' how he had just dismissed romance so easily.  
  
"I mean it should be easy right, you find a girl, you like a girl, you ask a girl out, you take the girl out, you go out with the girl again if it went well, you ask the girl to be your girlfriend if you go out enough and care about her that much"  
  
"Oh yeah I agree, so where are you taking your mannequin?" Lisa asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
Tracey looked at her, puzzled.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well I didn't hear your girl say anything about any of the events that just happened in your head, did she just smile at you while you went through every phase of your lovelife."  
  
"Well of course the girl has input" Tracey argued, blushing.  
  
"Well that's a relief....for your imaginary girl, I mean"  
  
"It's just that if I really liked a girl, I'd think, well I'd hope that I could ask her out without a melodrama"  
  
Tracey looked over at Lisa and tried to hide his reddening cheeks.   
  
She was so pretty today with her long blue hair held back with strands falling around her face, her brown eyes glittering and looking just as beautiful in a sleeveless white tee shirt and jeans, as any extravagant gown.   
  
"Well have you tried it?" Lisa asked, softly, barely daring to make eye contact.  
  
"Um well no but I uh um well. Ahem, Lisa...would you...liketogoouttodinnerwithme" he finished in a hurry, breathing out a sign of relief.  
  
"Sorry, but I think I would have had to be running at supersonic speeds to catch that, what did you say?"   
  
"Ok, here I go...you..I mean would you like to...dine me.. wha...I mean would you like to have dinner with me?"  
  
Lisa bit her lip and shook her, looking up at him from under thick eyelashes.   
  
Tracey's face fell and he looked crushed.  
  
"Yeah that's ok, I mean, you probably have a whole lot of other guys who and I'm just"  
  
"I'd love to go with you. But I don't think either of us can afford a dinner like that" she said, smiling sincerely at him. With a toss of her hair she continued.  
  
"Besides I'm much more of a cinema girl myself, huge buckets of popcorn, huge drinks and a cute guy by your side. Who could ask for more" she giggled.  
  
"You're serious? I mean you're not messing with me"  
  
"I never joke when it comes to the cinema" she told him seriously then beamed at him.  
  
"The cinema it is then" he said brightly and opened the door for her.  
  
"So what kind of movie are we going to see?" Lisa asked as they made their way down a hall   
  
They both jumped back in surprise when Richie and Melody stumbled out of the art supplies closet, looking flustered and somewhat scruffy, which you might expect, from Richie but never from Melody.  
  
Richie stared at his two friends in shock when Melody spoke up.  
  
"See, I told you that wasn't the door to the art room, idiot!" she snapped, throwing him a glare and then walked away.  
  
As she walked away, she was trying to straighten her clothes and fix her hair but she still had such a confident stride about her.  
  
Richie stared after her in awe whispering the word "genius".  
  
He walked away himself, making no such effort to right his appearance.  
  
"That was..odd" Tracey said after a few moments stunned silence.  
  
"Still not one of the strangest things I've seen you guys do yet" Lisa replied.  
  
She grabbed Tracey's hand and headed up the hall.  
  
"C'mon artist, we have to get to class"  
  
*****  
  
"Duplica, are you sure this is going to work?" Ash asked, a note of worry in his voice.   
  
"Of course and then when you two have this all ironed out, everyone will be back to normal, well after we handle a couple more things...it'll be back to as normal as it had been" she amended.  
  
Misty was rummaging through her locker and pulled out the books she was looking for.   
  
A picture stuck to the door of her locker caught her attention, well two pictures.   
  
One picture was of the whole group and the other was one of Ash and herself taken by a friend.   
  
It was after one of those nights when everyone had slept over in Misty's house and everyone was so exhausted that everyone crashed out in front of the T.V.   
  
One pair, Ash and Misty, were asleep on the sofa.   
  
Ash was leaning on the armrest; one arm propped up on the armrest and the other hand was wrapped around Misty who had snuggled into him while they slept.  
  
They had been teased mercilessly over that picture but it had always seemed to her that it was like a promise for the future.   
  
Even now, she couldn't help but feel a tingle in her stomach after looking at that.  
  
She shook her head and slammed her locker door and jumped when someone was leaning against the locker beside her.  
  
"Rudy you're being good and creepy" she muttered.  
  
"Well, red, I couldn't help but notice that we both have the leads in this musical and well as it's tomorrow, I thought we should go to rehearsal together and sort out some things and work together" he flashed his most dazzling smile at her.  
  
"Well I suppose you're right and stop grinning at me like that"  
  
"Melts your heart, don't it?" he smirked   
  
"Oh yeah I don't think I can control myself, hold me now" Misty pleaded, her voice dripping in sarcasm.  
  
With that she walked away  
  
Rudy's smile faded.  
  
"You know I thought you'd wanna go with some guy you know you're little boyfriend wouldn't like. You know, a bad boy like me. After everything that happened"  
  
Misty spun on her heel and stalked back towards Rudy.  
  
"He's not my boyfriend. You're about as bad as I am Giselle and it is not any of your business what happened!"  
  
Rudy cleared his voice and spoke in a calm cool voice that did a great job hiding his problem with controlling his bladder at that moment.   
  
Misty was scary, sometimes.  
  
"Hey, I'm just saying it would a great way to get back at him. Although I always knew you could do so much better. Your days of underachieving are over, sweetie"  
  
Misty suddenly calmed down, shaking her head and giving him a mirthless smile.  
  
"Maybe I am too good for him or maybe we're exactly the right match for each other but in any case, it's no ones business but our own. And I would never use someone to make someone else jealous, I mean how petty and cruel could that be, that's like something..."  
  
Suddenly a small voice called out in her head. "She kissed me ok!"  
  
"Something Giselle would do! He was telling me the ...which he means he loves... Oh my God" she squealed with delight and without thinking, she flung her arms around Rudy and hugged him with joy.  
  
Rudy as shocked and just as he was about to react he felt a sharp stinging pain across his cheek.  
  
"What?" he cried, his hand flying to his red cheek.  
  
"That's so you know I don't like you in any shape or form"  
  
"Yeah I got that" he murmured.  
  
"I can't believe he really...Oh no,"  
  
Misty grabbed her bag and dashed off, her voice wafting through the air as she ran.  
  
"Don't ever call me sweetie again!  
  
*****  
  
"So this will really work?" Ash asked.  
  
"Yeah of course well this and weeks of sucking up but hey, that's love" Duplica grinned as she led Ash towards Misty's locker.  
  
"So um what kind of huge romantic gesture are we talking?" Ash asked nervously.  
  
"Hey you're the guy in love with her. You've known her the longest, you know what would make her eyes water" Duplica said, smiling dreamily.  
  
"A Caterpie in her hair?" Ash asked, confused.  
  
Duplica sweatdropped and pushed him in front of her, propelling him along.  
  
"Uh huh, but supposing that neither of are five year olds, then what?"  
  
Ash froze when he saw them both embracing.  
  
He looked so wounded, Duplica wanted to grab him in a hug until he felt better.  
  
He reminded her so much of a small child lost and alone.  
  
"Screw this" he said softly and walked away, his head bowed in defeat, his walked turned into a run and he was gone before Duplica could stop him.  
  
*****  
  
Gisselle cleared her mind and tried to focus, but she couldn't.  
  
Oddly it wasn't the fact that she was going on stage in few minutes for their opening night that was distressing her, it was the way she had left things with Brock.  
  
She stood up, checked her make-up which was flawless as usual.  
  
"Funny how this is the one thing I never mess up and I don't even know if I want it to be my priority anymore" she said to herself as she inspected her appearance.   
  
She left the mirror and went off in search of Brock who was pacing back and forth, looking over the last of his lines.  
  
He knew them perfectly but it gave him something to do.  
  
"Hi" she began with a degree of uncertainty.  
  
(This is so stupid; I never get nervous around a guy)  
  
Brock looked up and grunted a rough hello.  
  
"I want to talk about what happened," she said softly.  
  
"You've got great timing, you know that?" Brock retorted, angrily.  
  
He still couldn't help but admire her.   
  
She was wearing a satin gown; the skirt flowed out elegantly and made her appear taller.   
  
The bodice was tight but not too tight in that it showed her curves and slim waist but kept it subtle.   
  
The sleeves were a light lace and were bound at the elbows by small gold bands and then flowed down past her hands and ended past her knees.   
  
The dress was the palest pink and lavender, which contrasted perfectly with her long dark tresses that were, held back a glittering tiara.  
  
Her dark brown eyes really seemed bigger with the eye shadow she had subtly applied and her lips were a pretty rose colour.   
  
Brock himself was wearing a full length orange sleeveless robe with intricate patterns embroidered on it and a white shirt underneath.   
  
"I know but I really have to say this. It wasn't Ash's fault; he had nothing to do with it. I'd love to say it was his doing and I was an innocent bystander because then you could be mad at him and you could be nice to me again, like you were but lately I think I've grown a conscience and I couldn't do that.   
  
So you should be mad at me...but I really don't want you to be because I really like you and I think we should go out but after what I did, I can understand if you don't want to...so that's it"  
  
She scurried off to some corner where she could be by herself and blinked rapidly trying to prevent the tears from spilling over.  
  
*****  
  
Ash stood in front of a huge group of Pokemon giving them a pep talk.   
  
Richie walked over to him and placed his hands in his pockets.  
  
"How's it going?" he asked casually.  
  
"I look like Peter Pan" Ash complained, gesturing to his costume.  
  
His part in the play was one the magic wielders and as such, he didn't wear the villagers clothes, the magic wielders had to wear these bright exotic costumes.  
  
He wore a dark green tunic tied with gold, sparkly belt.  
  
The dark green hood of the tunic was pulled over his head.  
  
Underneath the tunic he was wearing a long sleeved blue tee shirt but the sleeves grew looser and floppier towards the end where the hand should be.   
  
There was also a brown leather band across his chest, which had a small pouch on it and held some fruit and vegetables in it.  
  
Richie looked at him for a moment and nodded.  
  
"You really, really do"  
  
Richie himself was supposed to be noble magic wielder so he wore a purple and blue full length tunic with a white long sleeved tee shirt unearth the tunic and he had a dark purple cloak.   
  
On his head he wore a small gold crown.  
  
"Well not all of us get crowns and capes, your majesty" Ash joked.  
  
"Quiet, subject! I am your prince and as such, you shall respect me" Richie cried out in a pompous voice, waving his hand as regally as he could.  
  
Soft music filled floated through the air, causing the actors and crew to stop all action as they listened to it.  
  
Melody was sitting on one of the desks with costumes piled high on it, already in costume, and was playing her ocarina.   
  
Her eyes were closed and her body swayed with the music.   
  
Her chestnut hair was pulled back in a plait, decorated with flowers.  
  
A lace veil fanned out around her head and rested around her face, framing it.   
  
She was wearing a pink lacy dress.   
  
The skirt was made up of light pink and white; tear dropped shapes of the material.   
  
It ended at her knees at the front and grew longer around as it was past her ankles around the back.   
  
She wore pink tights and white slip on shoes.  
  
The bodice was like a gypsy top in make.   
  
A white ribbon ran around the waist and ended in a bow at the side, tightening above the waist but letting it rest gracefully against the skirt and the style was cut in a very wide v- neck so that her shoulders were exposed. The sleeves were tight and went to her wrists and ended in another teardrop shape.  
  
"Wow" Ash breathed.  
  
"She's really good" he continued, speaking softly.  
  
"She's something special alright" Richie agreed.  
  
"Who is?" a curious voice asked from behind them.  
  
They both turned and saw Duplica standing behind them.  
  
"Well you look different" Richie teased.  
  
Duplica smiled and twirled around.  
  
"Cool, isn't it?" she asked with a wink.  
  
"Her long green hair was piled up on top of her head in two buns with gold ribbons holding them in place.   
  
Her costume was a full length pale green dress.   
  
A small gold belt hung around her waist and dipped around the front. The skirt almost glowed as the material shifted around her legs.  
  
The bodice was yellow and blended into the green of the skirt the closer it to the skirt; the sleeves were the same way yellow blending into green and the neck was a v- neck with yellow ribbon running along it.  
  
"Ok you ready for a completely guy like question?" Ash asked.  
  
"Sure"  
  
"How can you guys take a whizz with those skirts?" both boys asked at once.  
  
"Oh that's easy. See, cause we have such big skirts, we can easily fit a toilet bowl underneath them" she replied.  
  
"C'mon it was a reasonable question" Richie objected.  
  
"That's true, ok. See there's this tiny flap in the skirt, every one has it and see we can open the flap and we slip in a bottle and...well I think you can imagine the rest" she said, her face as serious as she could make it.   
  
"Good luck" she called over her shoulder as she walked away, she nearly burst out laughing when she saw their faces, very unsure of whether she was making it up or not but too confused and lost to question.  
  
"I was born to be on stage" she grinned.  
  
Her expression darkened when she saw Rudy but she did see some humour in the way he was darting about trying to avoid Misty at all costs.  
  
His costume was very simple; it was a dark red tunic that ended at his hips and a pair of black trousers underneath.   
  
His outfit was fashioned to look old and shabby yet still high light his good lucks and she cursed the fact that it did.  
  
She hadn't seen Misty in costume yet but she was sure that Lisa did a great job on it, she did a great job on everyone else's   
  
Mr Crefell bustled backstage.  
  
"Ok my little actors and actresses, time to get out there and perform "  
  
To be continued  
  
Well that was it.  
  
Please review!  
  
Lots of love  
  
Nibbs 


	14. chapter 14

Hello, sorry about the delay but just so you know, my favourite story on this whole website hasn't been updated in months and I've been checking in on that everyday so all authors do that I guess, or at least the flaky ones like me do.   
  
This chapter is slightly shorter than usual and is different to the other ones and I have to say, it was pretty hard to write. I know when you're reading it you're gonna be "Pfftt I could have written that in like, twenty minutes" well you weren't writing it, so don't judge me!  
  
And *does a little celebration dance* It's my birthday tomorrow  
  
Anyhow, don't own the characters, do own the story  
  
Please read and review.  
  
Lots of love  
  
Chapter 14  
  
Misty's sea green eyes scanned the crowds of people rushing about. She bit her lips,practically identifying every person standing before her.  
  
"Hey lady, you looking for somebody?" a cheerful voice enquired drawing her attention away from the hustle bustle going on around her and towards a green haired teen in a yellow and green dress.  
  
"I was looking for Ash" Misty explained with a sigh, leaning against the wall and wringing her hands nervously.  
  
Duplica's smile fell and her eyes filled with worry.  
  
"Misty I'm really don't think...." she began but was cut off by Misty.  
  
"You know something needs to be done and its never gonna get done unless I do it" she decided and strode away, her skirt swishing as she walked giving her an elegant appearance   
  
"Ash is not gonna want to listen ...although if you phrase it like that he might be more inclined to. Why is it SO hard for two people to tell each other they like them and then go out on a date" she groaned, placing a hand on her forehead and sighing.  
  
"Yeah I totally agree, so where's Snap?" Giselle teased, resting her hands on her hips.  
  
"Probably hanging out with Brock" Duplica shot back instantly and effortlessly.  
  
"Stage call"  
  
"Looks like games on, princess" Duplica smirked.  
  
Giselle made a face at her but walked away towards the stage, breathing deeply.  
  
The curtains were still drawn and right about now, Melody was dancing around the stage, playing a soft song on her ocarina and telling the audience about the circumstance of the story.  
  
"The sprites and the humans lived in peace alongside one another. Humans began to feel threatened by the sprites and began to kill them starting a brutal war. The sprites opened up a portal into a strange beautiful new world where they could be free from humans and now our story will explain what happened to cause the portal to be opened once more and the wonderful beings, known as Pokemon to be born.  
  
She smiled and took a bow and as the audience applauded, she pranced offstage.   
  
The curtain rose and Brock and Rudy were on stage.  
  
Giselle watched Brock on stage already with Rudy, going through their lines perfectly.   
  
She had to hand it to them both; they both had their characters next to perfect.  
  
"Princess Calliope would want nothing to do with you" Jack (Brock) spat, glaring at Ben (Rudy), focusing all his anger on the red haired youth that stood before him with pleading eyes.  
  
"Just give me a chance with her, please" Ben begged, desperately.  
  
Giselle inhaled deeply and stepped onstage, her naturally graceful movements gave the character an air of authenticity.  
  
"Now, now Ben" Princess Calliope {Giselle} purred, batting her eyelashes at Ben.  
  
"If this young gentleman thinks he had something to offer that I have yet to see, let's at least give him a chance" she continued, circling Ben with a hint of a smirk.  
  
"But princess" Ben objected.  
  
"Please Ben, leave us be" Calliope said gently with underlying steel.  
  
Ben nodded reluctantly and walked offstage.  
  
"Great job" Richie grinned at his friend who had just finished his scene.  
  
"It's really pretty nerve wrecking out there"  
  
"Giselle seems cool with it"  
  
"That girl is a great actor"  
  
Richie heard the bite in his friend's tone but Brock's face told a different story.   
  
He wasn't angry with her, he cared about her and was trying with all his might to be angry with her and Richie shook his head, knowing Brock was fighting a losing battle.  
  
The crowd laughed as Giselle delivered a one liner that suited both Giselle and Princess Calliope.  
  
Misty watched the brunette from the other side of the stage, feeling a smile tug at the corner of her lips.  
  
"Well I don't think I could have found anyone better for the role" Mr Crefell mused, appearing beside Misty.  
  
"You got lucky with Giselle, wait till' you see the rest of us stumbling round trying to throw out our lines" Misty replied, smirking at him.  
  
"Misty, I'll let you in on a little secret, I never put anyone on the spot unless I am fully aware that they can come out on top. It would only reflect poorly on me " Mr Crefell gave her a self satisfied smile.  
  
"And I have no intention of looking bad tonight"  
  
Misry saw a mop of scruffy raven hair bobbing along through the crowd.  
  
Her face lit up and she hurried after him.   
  
She was about to call out his name when she remembered one rule that Mr Crefell had drilled into them.  
  
"Never make a commotion back stage, no running, screaming, shouting, arguing. Do what needs to be done in silence"  
  
Ash turned around and saw someone walking towards him.   
  
He winced, the pain was still raw from what he had seen yesterday and as such, he couldn't even face the spirited red head.  
  
Someone grabbed Misty's elbow and dragged her away from Ash.  
  
"Well that was a close call" Mr Crefell breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"Giselle isn't even finished her scene, what could you possibly want me for?" Misty demanded.  
  
"I'm not blind, I know that something happened between you and Ash and while I love this chemistry between you both, I will not see a fight break out and both of you in foul moods going out there to entertain"  
  
"I'm already in a foul mood"  
  
"Yes but your mood is not as bad as it might have been"  
  
Misty huffed and folded her arms across her chest and continued to watch Giselle, sneaking occasional glares at her self appointed baby sitter.  
  
Calliope sighed and she walked past Ben who was on his knees.  
  
"Yes but you have promised me the moon and the sun, the sky and the ocean, the stars and the trees and all that dwell between them but let me ask you this. On what shall I sit to admire all that you have promised me, surely you don't expect me to sit upon the earth. Others have promised jewel encrusted thrones "  
  
"But I could give you everything "  
  
"Let me explain something to you"  
  
Calliope faced Ben and placed a finger under his chin raising him with her finger as she began singing.  
  
Some boys kiss me  
  
Some boys hug me  
  
I think that's ok  
  
She whipped her finger away and spun around.  
  
If they don't give me proper credit  
  
I'll just walk away  
  
They can beg and they can plead  
  
A small group of boys ran on stage, falling on their knees begging and pleading with her  
  
But they can't see the light {That's right, that's right)  
  
Cause the boy with the cold hard cash is always Mr Right  
  
The small group of boys parted and one who was extremely well dressed, with a pouch of gold stepped through them and Calliope linked arms with him.  
  
Cause we are living in  
  
In a material world   
  
And I am material girl  
  
Calliope and the rich boy did a small dance number; Giselle singing the whole time and she let out a giggle when the rich boy dipped her.  
  
You know that we are living in a material world  
  
And I am a material girl  
  
The rich boy dropped on one knee and presented a ring to her, which Calliope plucked from his hand, examined it and flung it behind, pushing the rich boy back.  
  
She spun around and came to a stop, when another group of boys rushed onstage, while the first group danced offstage.  
  
Some boys' romance and some boys slow dance  
  
That's alright with me  
  
One bed fell on one knee serenading Princes Calliope while the other boy grabbed her in a brief dance.  
  
If they can't raise my interest then I  
  
Have to let them be  
  
Calliope placed her hands on her hip and both boys hung their heads before walking away, dragging their feet.   
  
Some boys try and some boys lie but  
  
I don't let them play  
  
The first group of boys ran out and began making broad hand gestures while Calliope yawned at them and shooed them away.   
  
Only boys who save their pennies  
  
Make my rainy day, 'cause they are  
  
One boy carrying a really big piggy bank walked onstage and Calliope held her hand out to be kissed by him.  
  
Living in a material world [material]  
  
Living in a material world  
  
Living in a material world [material]  
  
Living in a material world  
  
The boy and Calliope ran through a perfectly executed dance routine and when they finished, the stage filled with the boys running in from the left and right and then leaving a parting down the middle for Calliope to strut through.   
  
Boys may come and boys may go  
  
And that's all right you see  
  
Experience has made me rich  
  
And now they're after me, 'cause everybody's  
  
Calliope waved her hand, the gold rings she wore glittering and then the boys fell at her feet eyeing up the gold and jewels she wore.  
  
  
  
Cause everybody's living in a material world  
  
And I am a material girl  
  
Cause everybody's living in a material world  
  
And I am material girl  
  
The song ended with everyone on stage throwing his or her arms up in the air.  
  
Giselle took a deep breath trying to slow her rapidly beating heart.   
  
She approached Ben and smirked and lifted his chin with her index finger.  
  
"And that is why you are out of your league, kid".  
  
The curtain fell on them and the stage helps ran around changing the scenery.  
  
Melody rushed over to Giselle.  
  
"How was it?" she asked eagerly.   
  
Giselle smiled broadly.  
  
"It was amazing, "she gushed, her eyes alight.  
  
******  
  
Misty was shaking, she didn't know when she started but her mind had gone blank and now she was shaking and she knew she was taking shorter breaths.  
  
Mr Crefell smiled as the scene began onstage but he looked down when he heard short breaths and saw Misty had gone considerably paler.  
  
"Good heavens, you suffer from stage fright?"  
  
"If that's what you call being afraid of the stage then I think so" Misty replied, her voice shaking.  
  
"How was this never an issue before"  
  
"It was rehearsal, if I screwed up which everyone did anyway, I could threaten whoever laughed"  
  
Onstage.  
  
Ben was sitting in the middle of the stage, a mountain of books beside him.  
  
" Aha! If I could find one of these magic wielding sprites then I could make one make Calliope fall for me. If you find one they have to help you as it's in their nature," he cried out triumphantly.  
  
"But" he trailed off, looking out the window at the dark looming forest in the window." I have to go to the forest to try and find the portal"  
  
Melody skipped out on stage, her feet barely touching the stage and the pink of her gown swishing around elegantly.  
  
She twirled around gently while playing a soft melody.  
  
Melody's purpose was to be the storyteller.  
  
"And so Ben left, battling his fear in the hopes that he might find a sprite and a solution to his problems with Calliope"  
  
The curtain fell as she spoke and again the stage helps were running around like headless chickens setting up the scene of a dark forest.  
  
When the curtain rose, the lights had dimmed and the stage was now fairly dark.  
  
Ben stumbled into the forest looking around the nervously.  
  
Misty stood rooted to the spot.  
  
"Misty, please don't freeze up on me" Mr Crefell pleaded.  
  
Ash saw Misty shaking like a leaf and his eyes narrowed in determination.  
  
He walked over to her and grabbed her by the shoulders spinning her around, a feat he could never boast until today.  
  
"Misty, you HAVE to go out there, we're counting on you. What have you got to be afraid about anyway, you got more talent than everyone in this whole theatre put together, audience included. Plus your tough, you're a Waterflower ain't cha?" he demanded, his voice stern and his eyes narrowed.  
  
Misty nodded, silently.  
  
"And I'll be there the whole time watching and cheering, ok?" he asked, softer this time.  
  
Misty smiled at him, weakly.  
  
"And are you gonna let your sisters know you couldn't hack something they think is simple as batting an eyelash?" Ash demanded his tone challenging.  
  
"HELL NO!" Misty cried, eyes ablaze.  
  
She stalked towards the stage.  
  
"You know for someone who is very upset with Misty at the moment, you didn't think twice about jumping in and saving her" Brock remarked, coming up behind him.  
  
Ash sighed.  
  
"Doesn't really matter what she does to me, I'm never gonna leave her hanging" he said softly and sincerely.  
  
"Ash I'm sorry I've been such a terrible friend to you over the last week. I should have taken your word for it and.. I really hope you can forgive me"  
  
Ash looked at Brock for a moment and grinned.  
  
"You got it, man"  
  
Onstage.  
  
Ben stumbled about the forest when a bunch of leaves lifted up high in the tree behind to reveal Jade {Misty} sitting on the branch with a smile.  
  
Mr Crefell grinned at the audience, who was in awe of the young girl.   
  
The first day he had seen her, he thought she was one of the most striking, beautiful girls he had ever seen.   
  
You couldn't compare her beauty to another sort; it was in a league of its own and he knew that would pay off onstage.  
  
Her fiery hair was smooth and gleamed in the light, highlighting the red gold tints.   
  
Her sea green eyes sparkled and her cheeks were flushed slightly.   
  
A teasing smile lit up her face.   
  
Her costume was the hardest to design according to Lisa, trying to combine the airiness of a fairy with the tough as nails Misty.  
  
She was the only girl whose costume wasn't a dress.   
  
An emerald green top adorned her figure.   
  
Dark green straps dotted with small green diamonds clung to her upper arm and then flowed out in a loose fitting green lace.   
  
The Bodice was a tight fitting dark green material that ended well above her waist and then flowed out in a richly embroidered lace that went to her knees. Underneath that she wore a dark blue pants that reached her shins.   
  
To complete the look, she was wearing a light blue green full-length sleeveless jacket and light brown boots.  
  
Jade giggled as Ben, oblivious to her looked around in fear.  
  
Suddenly an ominous voice filled the stage.  
  
Beware of the full moon  
  
Stick to the path  
  
Out come the creatures  
  
A spine chilling laugh.  
  
This was followed by a maniacal evil laugh.  
  
Jade wrapped an arm around the tree and leaned forward, opening her mouth and letting out a rich powerful sound.  
  
There's a chill in the air  
  
{A chill in the air}  
  
Four other people popped up from behind bushes and trees to sing back-up but they disappeared as soon as they sang their line.  
  
Misty stood up and leaned against the tree.  
  
The four back-up popped up again but in different places and vanished just as suddenly as they arrived.  
  
You hear a creak on the stairs  
  
{A creak on the stairs}  
  
Ben turned around but saw no one and continued on.  
  
You gotta lock all your doors  
  
{Lock all your doors}  
  
Is there anybody out?  
  
Jade swung down from the branch and landed neatly on her feet.   
  
The back-up singers popped up and the followed Misty as she moved backwards, leading them along with her finger.  
  
They're out to get you.  
  
To capture you and make you spellbound  
  
Howling and prowling, you're shivering quivering spellbound  
  
Jade followed Ben around the stage, jumping back, every time he turned around and mimicking his movements.  
  
You cannot run  
  
And you cannot hide  
  
Yeah you gotta face it baby,  
  
Things go bump in the night  
  
The back-up singers now took up Jades challenge and followed him around, disappearing behind bushes and trees when he turned.   
  
Ben was jumpy and swung around a lot.  
  
Wherever you run  
  
And wherever you hide  
  
Yeah you gotta face it baby,  
  
Things go bump, bump, bump in the night  
  
Two back-up singers jumped up and when they saw each other, they both cried out in fright.   
  
Jade pushed them apart and walked between them.   
  
The background dancers ran off stage in a small cluster while Jade rolled her eyes.   
  
Tell me who's spookin' who {who's spookin' who}  
  
It's very scooby doo {scooby doo}  
  
A Rattata shrieks and Hoot Hoot hoots  
  
Jade followed Ben again and this time pretending to be afraid, biting her nails and jumping from foot to foot.  
  
You hear a shriek in the house (shriek in the house}  
  
You know its freaking me out (freaking me out}  
  
The back-up singers jumped out in front of Ben this time.  
  
They're out to get you,   
  
To capture you and make you spellbound  
  
Howling and prowling, you're shivering, quivering, spellbound.  
  
They chased him around the stage, when he turned around one would pop up from a bush and they kept him running from spot to spot.  
  
You cannot run  
  
And you cannot hide  
  
Yeah you gotta face it baby,  
  
Things go bump in the night  
  
Jade disappeared behind another tree watching from behind the tree while the others kept Ben running in a circle.  
  
Wherever you run  
  
And wherever you hide  
  
Yeah you gotta face it baby,  
  
Things go bump, bump, bump in the night  
  
The background singers formed a line and every time Ben took a step back, they took a step forward.  
  
Who's spookin who who's spookin' who   
  
who's spookin who who's spookin who  
  
(Things that go bump they go bump they go bump they go)  
  
{Things that go bump they go bump they go bump they go)  
  
Ben kept backing up until he bumped into someone standing behind him.  
  
Jade is standing there and she smirked at him.   
  
She jumped and landed with her feet firmly apart whenever she sang "Bump".   
  
She did this every time she sang that word for the rest of the song.  
  
You cannot run  
  
And you cannot hide  
  
Yeah you gotta face it baby,  
  
Things go bump bump bump bump in the night  
  
Misty grabbed Ben and pulled him towards her and when he pulled away, she let go so suddenly, he fell back on his butt.  
  
You cannot run and   
  
You cannot hide {Yeah, Yeah}  
  
{Oh yeah}you gotta face it baby  
  
You know wherever you run and wherever you hide  
  
Things go bump in the night  
  
The back-up singers surrounded him and kept finding different ways to make sure Ben stayed on the ground.  
  
Yeah you gotta face it baby  
  
Things go bump, bump bump bump in the night  
  
You cannot run, { You can't run}  
  
And you cannot hide { You can't hide}  
  
You know wherever you run and wherever you hide  
  
Yeah you gotta face it baby  
  
Things go bump bump bump in the night.  
  
Things that go bump, bump in the night  
  
The music died away and Ben looked up fearfully at Jade; the back-up singers disappeared offstage.  
  
Jade tilted her head and smirked at the boy.  
  
"Hey kid, strayed kinda far"  
  
The curtain fell and the second song of the evening was applauded heartily. Three young women in particular screamed as loudly as they could, one with pink hair wolf whistling.  
  
Misty made her way offstage and just behind the curtains; she slumped to the ground in a sitting position, head hanging down.   
  
Mr Crefell approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Are you ok?" he asked her, his voice filled with concern.  
  
Misty looked up at him and he was relieved to see a weak smile crossing her lips.  
  
"THAT was scary"  
  
"Well a wise woman told me that red head's never get scared, especially those of the Waterflower kind"  
  
"Couldn't have been a very wise woman"  
  
"She has her moments"  
  
"Ash helped me out so much back there, I saw him at the other side of the stage while I was up there. You know he's always been cheering me on like that, ever since we were stupid little kids who thought we could own the world."  
  
"As opposed to the pillars of maturity and humbleness you both are now?" Mr Crefell's words dripped with sarcasm  
  
"Ohhh someone's got more bite than usual. I have to find Ash and thank him and then sort out this whole big mess we landed ourselves in"  
  
Mr Crefell grinned at her.  
  
"Go on then"  
  
"You had a problem with that last time" she pointed out.  
  
"Yeah but you earned it"  
  
Misty smiled gratefully and scurried off trying to find Ash, passing by Duplica on the way.  
  
Duplica watched her friend rush by and she shrugged, used to all her friends more odd behaviours  
  
She was walking towards the stage when Snap ran towards her.  
  
"Hey, you're doing a great job on the lighting" she commented.  
  
"Hey I have to ask you something really important" he pressed.  
  
"Ok" she replied with uncertainty but hope bubbled up in her stomach.  
  
{He might be asking me out}  
  
"How do you go about asking someone out"   
  
Duplica's face fell and then clouded over.  
  
"I don't know SNAP! Just do it!" she snapped angrily, stalking off.  
  
"Would you like to go out with me?" he asked, dejectedly after her retreating form.  
  
He walked away and he saw Richie and Melody coming out of some small storage room.  
  
"Art teacher again?" he asked casually, not even thinking about what he said.  
  
Melody and Richie froze and then began babbling something by way of excuses. Snap wasn't even paying attention and as suck took no notice of them.  
  
"Oh that's cool. Later" he said in a small voice and walked away, his shoulders slumped, dragging his feet.  
  
Melody placed her hands on her hips and grinned.  
  
"It's a good thing your friends are so very, very dim"  
  
"Hard to take criticism from the girl whose friends can't remember what colour their hair used to be"  
  
Melody smiled at him and ruffled his hair.  
  
"Like you're a natural brunette"  
  
"Hey you're the bright spark who left me hold her flute thing" Richie grinned as he held up her ocarina"  
  
"I didn't let you, you stole it from you and held it hostage unless I gave into your demands"  
  
"Which you liked, didn't you?" he teased.  
  
She grabbed her ocarina and bopped him on the nose with it.  
  
"I have to go onstage now cause I'm really important and people won't be able to figure out what's going on unless I tell em'" Melody said in a childish proud voice.  
  
Richie bit his tongue and nodded, watching as the brunette swanned towards the stage.  
  
"The show must go on" he grinned and walked away.  
  
To be continued.  
  
Please read and review  
  
Lots of love  
  
Nibbs 


	15. chapter15

" I don't care what it takes, Just find her a suitor. I'm getting sick of her breaking hearts left,right and centre " a teen boomed out.  
  
Jack sighed and walked across the stage to where the king stood.  
  
"Your majesty, it mightn't be that simple" he objected.  
  
The Kings dark blue eyes narrowed and he turned on his advisor.  
  
"Then, Jack, I give you this option. Find SOMEONE for my daughter, or marry her YOURSELF"  
  
With that, the Kind swept away, his cloak bollowing behind him until he was off stage.  
  
Jack collapsed into a chair nearby and began rubbing his temples.  
  
"I can't possibly marry Calliope, she's a self centred little witch and...I'm still looking for the perfect girl for me.  
  
He sighed and lowered his head when music started up.  
  
He looked up and stroked his chin thoughtfully.  
  
"A one woman man's what I wanna be"  
  
Jack stood up suddenly, slapping a balled up fist in his out stretched palm before dropping his arms and bowing his head in defeat.   
  
"Stay by her side, so faithfully"  
  
"I would if I could but its just no good"  
  
Jack grinned.  
  
"Because there's two perfect girls for me"  
  
Next thing, Dupliva walked on stage, dressed up as Officer Jenny, she walked past Brock who suddenly fell on his knees.  
  
"Oh, officer Jenny,oh can't you see  
  
You can lock me up and throw away the key  
  
Oh Jenny, if loving's you a crime  
  
Then sentence me now and I'll do the time"  
  
Duplica slapped some cuffs on his wrists and led him forwads by the cuffs while he sang at her the whole. Brock then burst free from her grip and yanked the cuffs apart. Duplica stood shocked and then started chasing him around the stage.  
  
"My uniformed beauty is simply the best  
  
She's got my heart under house arrest  
  
But before that cop names me her boy"  
  
Jack shook a finger at her and she ran offstage in tears.  
  
"I'm head over heels for a nurse named Joy"  
  
The background singers showed up again, this time the girls dressed in pink full lenght dressed which glittered while the guys wore blue sequined jackets. They all swung thier hips and hands to the music.   
  
(He's head over heels)  
  
I'm head over heels for a nurse named Joy  
  
Duplica appeared at the other side of the stage dressed as Nurse Joy, giggled, waved and disappeared again, much to the audiences delight.  
  
The back ground dancers split into two groups, the girls lined up on Brockets left and the boys on the rgiht and they continued singing, this time throwing their arms out when Jack turned to them.  
  
Jack turned to the guys.  
  
"Jenny, oh Jenny"   
  
Then he turned to the girls.  
  
"Joy, oh Joy"  
  
"A one woman man's what I wanna be   
  
But theres two perfect girls for me  
  
hey ay, ho oh hey ey ho oh "  
  
Duplica skipped onto stage again still dressed as Joy when Brock limped towards her.  
  
"Nurse Joy  
  
Won't you please  
  
Cure me up this bad disease"  
  
Joy smiled again and walked towards him when he fell on top of her.  
  
"Joy, the diagnosis is bleak,   
  
When I see you face, my knees get weak"  
  
He grabbed her hand and slapped it on his forehead.  
  
"I'm burning up, I've got the fever,  
  
She's my perfect nurse and I'd never leave her"  
  
A group of people in hospital gowns swarmed onstage, shaking their fists and shouting things silently. Duplica smiled at them and winked and they all instantly calmed down.  
  
"Her bedside manner   
  
Has healed so many  
  
So why'm I in so love  
  
(Why he's so in love)  
  
Why'm I so in love with Officer Jenny.  
  
Duplica popped out again from the other side of the stage dressed as Officer Jenny. She spun her handcuffs around her finger and disappeared again.  
  
Once again, the background singers surrounded him, the girls pointing at him when he sang "Joy" and the boys pointed when he sang Jenny.   
  
"Jenny, Oh Jenny  
  
Joy, oh Joy  
  
The background singers all pointed at him and then formed a line moving to the back of the stage.  
  
"A one woman man's what I wanna be  
  
But theres two perfect girls for me"  
  
Brock faced the audience, holding his hands out, pleading with them when he pulled out two pictures, one of Joy and one of Jenny.  
  
"I've tried and I've tried  
  
And I've searched way deep inside  
  
He looked at the two pictures, his head bouncing back and forth frantically before throwing the pictures in the air and falling onto his rear.  
  
"From these two I won't choose  
  
I can't stand the bad news   
  
'Bout the name of the girl that I'm going to lose  
  
He stood up with the two pictures in his hand.  
  
"This can't go on, - enough is enough  
  
I've gotta pick one- no matter how tough.  
  
Brock began pointing at each picture.  
  
"Its time for enny meeny minny mo  
  
But wait a second  
  
(Wait a second)  
  
Wait a second  
  
(Come on and wait a second)  
  
Duplica appeared again in a blonde wig.   
  
She strutted across the stage, paused, looked over her shoulder at Brock, fanning herself and batting her eyes at him.  
  
Brock looked at the audience with goofy grin.  
  
"What's her name  
  
I just gotta know  
  
I just gotta know."  
  
The girl gave a little wave and dropped a hanky before walking offstage.  
  
The background singers split into the two separated groups this time, going to oppsoite ends of the stage. Brock ran in front of the guys  
  
"Jenny, Oh Jenny  
  
He then ran to the girls.  
  
Joy, Oh Joy"  
  
He stood in the middle looking back and forth between the two groups,  
  
A one woman's man what I wanna be  
  
Buts theres two perfect girls for me"  
  
"But there's one-  
  
Duplica walked past him in a purple wig and soon another girl joined her, the stage soon filling up with beautiful girls.  
  
-no two- no three, four, five six seven,  
  
so many perfect girls for me"  
  
Brock ended the number on his sliding towards the front of the stage on his knees surrounded by the girls.  
  
The music ended and Brock was left with lots of pretty girls.  
  
He ended the scene with a ..  
  
"I don't suppose any of you ladies wants to marry a princess? No? How about a date with me?"  
  
The curtain fell and the audience applauded, cheering and whistling.  
  
"Your boys quite a performer"Melody remarked, tossing Giselle an amused look.  
  
"He's not my boy" Giselle replied, curtly.  
  
Melody raised an eyebrow but said nothing.  
  
Brock bowed to the mini applause he received backstage.  
  
He placed an arm around an exhausted Duplica and they bowed together.  
  
"Now for a whole new change of pace for me- a costume change" Duplica grinned.  
  
She walked away, courtesying every now and again as she made hr wayn to the dressing room.  
  
Brock drummed his fingers on the wall and then nodded in decision.  
  
He passed Snap.  
  
"Giselle? he asked him while at that moment Snap asked him "Duplica?"  
  
Brock pointed to the left and Snap pointed to the right and they both plit up, going in the direction the other one had pointed.  
  
Tracey was sitting on a desk and let out a low whistle.  
  
"With thre amount of Testospherone flying around, we could make the chip munks sound like Barry white and make these walls sprout hair" he commented.  
  
"What about the oestrogen?" a fmelae voice asked.  
  
Tracey looked to his left and saw Lisa, standing next to him, her head tilted in curiousity.  
  
"I don't know what that does, Ms brainiac" he tugged on a straond of her hair playfully and she pushed him back playfully.  
  
"Oestrogen makes-" Misty began, as she walked past them  
  
"I don't want to know, thank you very much" Tracey interupted Misty.  
  
"What are you looking for?" Lisa asked curiously.  
  
"For Ash, when I find him, I'm gonna crush him into the ground then tell him how I feel" she replied, looking annoyed.  
  
"Hmm, course you have to decide whether you crush him before or after you tell him you feel" Tracey pointed out.  
  
"Unless you feel like crushing him and then telling him you feel would be crushing him into the ground"  
  
"You know, being useless isn't something yop suya should make as your couple activitie"  
  
"Think of it this way, they're making you look extremely important and busy by sitting there being the exact opposite whileyou run about.   
  
Probably not their intention but there you go" Richie joked, coming up behind them.  
  
"That's an interesting shade of lipstick. I would have gone for something less pink but hey you know me, I know diddlysquat about make up although you're probably know mroe than enough for both of us" Misty teased, keeping a straight face.  
  
Richie blushed and then flciked his hiar back.  
  
"I'll have you know I dare to care" he replied and then walked away, his head held high.  
  
"Who do you think Snap is accumulating his make up form?" Tracey asked.  
  
"Someone with enough pink to put Valentin4es day to shame" Misty replied instantly, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.  
  
"Melody's pink, see" Lisa suggested, nodding at Melody who had passed by.  
  
"Yeah but Melody and Richie hate each.."  
  
"Um, Trace, what did you think were the important meetings they held in the art supplies closet about?"  
  
"Discussions on art syupllies?" Tracey guessed.  
  
Both girls sweatdropped.  
  
"Tracey, would you be talking about art supllies there?" Misty asked in exasperation.  
  
"No, I'd probably be mak...ohhhhh"  
  
"Can't you hear just hear the rusty cogs starting up again and slowly but surely beginning to turn?" Lisa teased, planting a brief kiss on his forehead.  
  
"Taken out of retirement, it's inspiring, really" Misty added with teasing smile. 


	16. chapter 15 12

Hi, this is really important-the reason the last chapter was so short was because itwas only half of the chapter.  
  
I had two files, one of which had half the chapter and the other which was the complete chapter and I uploaded the wrong chapter so this chapter is the second half of chapter 5.  
  
Sorry about that but to make up for that, I'm uploaded the last chapter as well.  
  
So enjoy  
  
Read and review  
  
Nibbs  
  
The two girls and one boy went silent as they watched Giselle and one of her Giselle-  
  
ettes walking past them.  
  
The Giselle-ette was smirking and she stopped suddenly.  
  
"You know what Giselle" she began, smiling brightly and tossing her obviously dyed  
  
blonde hair over her shoulder.  
  
"I am like so relieved that everyone's got over that silly little rumour that you and that"  
  
she jerked her head back at Brock who was talking to someone but had stopped when he  
  
saw both girls looking at him.  
  
"Uber loser actually had something going on. I mean it must have been so hard for you  
  
being associated with that social pond slime, "   
  
The Giselle -ette giggled and put a hand on Giselles shoulder trying to be comforting but  
  
Giselle shrugged her hand off.  
  
By now everyone around them had stopped what they were doing to watch.  
  
Brock cautiously approached the desk where his three friends were sitting.   
  
Giselle and her friend were directly in front of the desk so the four on the desk got a  
  
perfect view of everything.  
  
Giselles head was lowered and suddenly she snapped her head up and her eyes were  
  
blazing, scaring everyone especially her Giselle-ette.  
  
"EXCUSE ME! Listen Cindy or as your parents prefer to call you, JOAN, that's my boy  
  
you're talking about, so shut it before I make you" she growled threateningly.  
  
A shocked silence fell over the crowd.  
  
Cindy or Joan looked around in alarm and let out a few startled gasps before narrowing  
  
her eyes.  
  
"Ok you wanna start something, we can but our friends will back me so I'm afraid you're  
  
a teensy bit outnumbered. " Cindy grinned maliciously at Giselle.  
  
"Oh my God, I am like so ready to throw down" a mockingly girlie voice cried out.  
  
Everyone stared at the owner of the voice and they couldn't believe Misty was standing  
  
by Giselles sidewith a mocking smile  
  
Cindy stared at Misty in terror.  
  
"You're going to fight but you hate Giselle and "  
  
Misty looked at Giselle.  
  
"You wanna take this solo or can I join in?" she asked with a friendly grin.  
  
Giselle looked at her , complete disbelief etched on her face before she grinned.  
  
"Be my guest"  
  
"Oh what's wrong , Joan, I thought you had back up" Misty pouted, mimicking Cindy's  
  
voice and expression.  
  
Cindy stuck her nose up in the air and stalked away.  
  
The crowd was still silent, too stunned to speak.  
  
Misty placed her hands on her hips and she smirked.  
  
"That was fun, would have been more fun if she'd stayed but c'est la vie"   
  
Giaselle looked at Misty and then averted her gaze to the ground, ashamed.  
  
"Thanks Red" she said quietly.  
  
"You gotta learn to pick your battles" Misty said with a sigh but then when Giselle heard  
  
a giggle, she looked up.  
  
Misty was giving her a warm smile.  
  
"I'm glad you picked this one"   
  
GIselle laughed and grinned back at her, and unspoken bond and friendship forming  
  
between the pair.  
  
Brock stood up from the table and looked over at Giselle seriously.  
  
"I think we need to talk" they both said at the same time.  
  
"Ohh thats dangerous, they just jinxed each other, now neither of them can talk" Lisa  
  
whispered.  
  
Tracey looked at her and shook his head.  
  
"See why can't I jinx you two?" he groaned as he dragged Misty and Lisa away.  
  
"I thought it was a guy who fights for the ladies honour" Brock commented, breaking the  
  
awkward silence.  
  
Giselle sat on the desk previously occupied by Misty, Tracey and Lisa.  
  
"I thought an uptown man like you wouldn't be so old fashioned, "she answered avoiding  
  
his gaze.  
  
Brock joined her on the desk and they both fell quiet.  
  
"Look, we are not here to make stupid small talk so lets just get this.."  
  
Giselle was cut off by Brock as he grabbed her and pulled into a kiss.  
  
When they parted they stared at each other for a few moments before Giselle laughed and  
  
jumped on him, knocking him backwards and pinned him on the desk.  
  
Just as they were about to continue, a loud cough interrupted them.  
  
Mr. Crefell stood in front of them with a hand on his face.  
  
"Please stop turning my theatre of dreams into a house of hormones" he whined.  
  
They both sat up quickly and blushed, looking down avoiding Mr. Crefells stern glare.  
  
"Ohh a house of hormones , sounds like my kind of place, maybe I can convince Misty to  
  
give into the house rules" Rudy laughed as he stopped next to them.  
  
A apple soared through the air and collided with the back of Rudy's head.  
  
He let out a surprised shriek which caused Giselle and Brock to snicker.  
  
"Who threw that?" he demanded.  
  
Everyone near him looked at him skeptically and wandered about their business.  
  
"PIKA!" a cheerful voice cried out and Rudy saw a Pikachu standing near the curtains,  
  
smiling and waving its tiny paws.  
  
"Awhh it was just a little Pikachu" Rudy announced, rolling the apple back towards the  
  
small mouse who grabbed it and ran behind the curtain.  
  
Ash who was hidden in the curtain suppressed the urge to burst out laughing until Rudy  
  
was out of sight.  
  
Pikacu arrived back with the apple and began nibbling it.  
  
"The perfect crime" Ash laughed as he petted Pikachu.  
  
Pikachu didn't know why it brought her friend so much joy to pelt another person with  
  
fruit but she figured it had something with Misty so she didn't really question it too much,  
  
besides no one could ever get mad at the Pikachu.  
  
Pikachu giggled wildly at this thought until Ash scooped her and sat against the wall,  
  
dropping her into his lap.  
  
Pikachu turned around a few times to get comfortable but gave up and scrambled up  
  
Ash's arm and top of his head, settling down.  
  
"So lets see, Tracey and Lisa, Brock and Giselle who else is gonna decide they can't stand  
  
to be single one second longer" Ash did his best presenter voice then slumped his  
  
shoulders.  
  
"Pika ka chu kachu"   
  
"I am not bitter" he argued.  
  
Piakchu giggled.  
  
"Yeah yeah, its easy for you, all you have to is sniff someone's butt and then shake tails  
  
and charge you cheeks to decide if you've found your soul mate"  
  
"Pikachu pikachu pi ka chu chu"  
  
"No it could not be that easy for me"  
  
"Pikachu I'm sick of this, I'm sick of everything being so crazy, what happened to us  
  
hanging out on the pier, jumping into the lake and ..."  
  
"Kachu"  
  
"Ok I know we never did that, but what happened to just hanging out. None of this  
  
nonsense of trying to figure out if she likes me or if I like her or if someone else likes her.  
  
Just hanging out in the park or even at school, making jokes, talking about Pokemon or  
  
anything. When did everything become so warped?"  
  
"Man Pikachu you wouldn't get any of this on the road, out there traveling around, only  
  
having to worry about yourself and your Pokemon.   
  
No jerks hitting on your best friends out there and no girls ditching you for someone else.  
  
I mean I am so tired of not getting any sleep because I'm miserable and the only way to  
  
get over someone is to get away from them"  
  
Pikachu was sitting up alert, she was worried about this trail of thoughts her friend was  
  
having and she was scared of where it might take him.  
  
She knew how impulsive Ash was and it seemed his throwaway comments were forming  
  
plans.  
  
"Yeah, imagine it Pikachu, Misty would be happy, I'd be happy and after a while  
  
everyone else would get over it. I think it's the best outcome we could get "  
  
"Pika Pika Pikapi ka chu chu"   
  
"Well ok, I wouldn't be happy straight away, but you don't get it, after a while I'd get so  
  
caught up in the my journey that I'd forget about all the crap that's been going on around  
  
here"  
  
Pikachu tried to argue with him again, desperately trying to point out the flaws in his plan  
  
that he didn't see because he was blinded by his own emotions.  
  
Duplica was walking around looking for Ash, she had made it her mission to fix this  
  
slight communication problem between Misty and Ash when she heard his voice.  
  
Her face lit up and approached him when she froze in her tracks.  
  
"That settles it, Pikachu. As soon as this musical is over and done with, I'm outta here and  
  
off into the big bad world and I hope its prepared."  
  
"Pika pika chu chu pi chu?"  
  
"No I can't tell anyone else, they wouldn't understand.I'm gonna make a clean break,  
  
away from everything here and the slate is gonna be wiped clean"  
  
Duplica's eyes watered.  
  
She took off, frantically trying to find Misty.  
  
This hand to end before it went way too far.  
  
To be continued.  
  
Ok so thats that sorted, I'm very sorry about the mix up. 


	17. chapter 16

OK, just some notes on Richie.   
  
Melody and Richie have been doing nothing heavier than making out, I'm sorry if people got the impression that there was more going on but there wasn't and in regards to the dirty jokes Richie makes, he's a teenage boy, what teenage boy doesn't make dirty jokes?   
  
Anyhow, I hope you enjoy the story, and I made up Duplica's second name, I have absolutely no reason to believe that this is her second name other than it occurred to me while I was typing.  
  
I'm sorry about the delays that I had with story and I'd like to thank everyone who's been so patient with me and I hope the story lives up to your expectations.   
  
Please read and review and most importantly, enjoy  
  
I don't own the characters and if you want to contact me, you know how  
  
Thanks and lots of love  
  
Nibbs  
  
Chapter 16  
  
Duplica was searching frantically for Misty.  
  
She couldn't believe what she had just heard Ash say, she was mad at him because he didn't seem to care about his friends but it didn't mean she was mad enough to let him go.  
  
He was one of her best friends and she didn't want to lose him and how would Misty react, after everything that had happened.  
  
That's when it hit her and she turned on her heel and stalked back towards the curtains where she had heard Ash.  
  
"You jerk!" she shrieked causing the boy to jump and let out a cry of surprise.  
  
"It was like that when we got there and we had no idea it was..wait what?" he asked, trying to remember what he was trying to make up excuses for.  
  
Duplica was glaring at him with such anger it made him shrink back and her eyes were filling with tears rapidly.  
  
Ash panicked, he never knew what to do with a girl when she was crying.  
  
He searched for anything that make this go away and make her happy.  
  
"That dress doesn't make you butt look huge" he cried out, half guessing.  
  
That caught Duplica off guard for a moment but she gathered herself again .  
  
"How could you even think of leaving everyone like that without a word" she demanded   
  
"What I'm not trying to..."  
  
"Save it, I heard you talking to Pikachu"  
  
Duplica's knees gave way and she sat opposite Ash who had looked down, ashamed.  
  
"That would be a really horrible thing to do and it would make a terrible friend" Duplica murmured.  
  
Ash snorted and looked at her with narrowed eyes.  
  
"Because all the best friends go around eavesdropping" he answered, sarcasm dripping from his voice.  
  
"Yeah what about Misty? You gonna leave her hanging like that" the green haired teen asked, tears running down her face now.  
  
Ash suddenly remembered what he had told Brock before, about how he would never leave Misty hanging.  
  
"Oh come on Duplica. She'd be better off"  
  
"Then why aren't you going to tell her?"  
  
Ash went quiet for a moment, mulling over that thought.  
  
"Because she doesn't need to know" he replied softly.  
  
Duplica's eyes flashed and she shot up in a second.  
  
"You really think that?" she asked, her voice cracking.  
  
Someone approached them and tapped Duplica on the shoulder.  
  
"You're on" the boy said before walking away  
  
Duplica hastily wiped her eyes before straightening out her dress and dusting herself off.  
  
"You're gonna tell her, aren't you?" Ash asked quietly.  
  
Duplica couldn't bring herself to look at him so she concentrated on brushing some imaginary lint off her skirt.  
  
"You already know the answer to that" she replied calmly.  
  
With that Duplica walked away, willing herself to remember her lines and to lose herself in the acting.  
  
Snap was standing on the walkway above the stage, playing with the lights when he saw Duplica walking below him.  
  
He was distracted and as such, let one of the spotlights slip.  
  
The beam of light swung about the backstage, catching various people in its ray before it finally came to rest shining on the closed door of one of the changing rooms.  
  
By now everyone had seen the renegade lamp and those who hadn't been blinded stopped and watched its path.  
  
Melody stepped out of the door with a smile and Richie followed with lipstick on his cheek.  
  
They both froze when they saw the huge crowd staring at them.   
  
It seemed everyone in the room was looking at them and they were trapped in the spotlight like deer caught in the headlights of a truck.  
  
Among the faces they could see their friends staring at them, some of them had knowing looks and smirks while others stared at them in horror.  
  
"OK I can kind of see why you might all stare because its not like we're in the middle of a hectic play and have jobs to do or anything but what's with the spotlight? Is that really necessary?" Richie joked after a few moments.  
  
He stood in front of Melody almost protectively, shielding his eyes from the bright light.  
  
The light flipped off and a small voice from above apologized.  
  
Everyone continued staring at them until Melody rolled her eyes and walked towards the crowd, arms cross with bored expression.  
  
"Yeah like you wouldn't" she said with a smirk.  
  
Most of the people shrugged and agreed.  
  
Melody grabbed Richie's hand and pulled him along.  
  
"C'mon, I wanna watch the show "  
  
"You just want to see my butt in light" Richie teased.  
  
Melody shrugged as she pulled him along.  
  
"OK yeah that too"  
  
After the couple departed, Duplica shot a puzzled look up at Snap, temporarily forgetting about everything else that had happened.  
  
Snap grinned sheepishly and Duplica giggled.  
  
Someone called something out and Duplica had to rush off towards the stage but not before shooting Snap another smile and then disappearing on-stage.  
  
Snap grinned back at her and leaned back against the railing thinking.  
  
Duplica was so pretty, he had known that since the first time he met her and she was his best friend, more so then anyone else in the group.  
  
Misty scared him, not in a bad way.  
  
When he had first met the red head he was stunned and too scared to speak and the more time he spent with her, he found that she wasn't so different to him after all and after that, her magic effect seemed to fade away, instead of an untouchable redheaded goddess, he had a really pretty friend.  
  
Snap decided there and then to do something about the situation which had gone on like this for far too long.  
  
On stage, Jade was left alone on-stage after she had given him a romance spell and she was supposed to meet Princess Calliopes best friend and maid Aoife met Jade and tried to understand what it was Ben wanted.  
  
The two girls ran through their lines perfectly sparking laughter.  
  
Duplica tried to avoid Misty's eyes because of everything that had happened while Misty looked at her in concern, wondering what could have possibly happened between her last scene and now.  
  
That's when it hit her, it must be Snap. Snap must have said something to Duplica to upset her that much.  
  
Misty his a smile, she'd find Snap after she finished her scene and she'd find out how he felt about Duplica even if it amounted to her stringing him up and dangling his camera over a small bucket of chemicals from the science labs.  
  
Maybe it was a blessing that all the emotions the teens held were ricocheting off the walls because it distracted them from their utter terror at being on stage.  
  
It was like they were all in default mode which meant, getting the lines and actions out the way Mr Crefell had drilled into them.  
  
"So you're telling me that you think you may have some hidden feelings towards Ben?" Aoife asked skeptically.  
  
"I don't know, ohh Finn is so much easier to understand" Jade sighed.  
  
Aoife sat down and leant against a tree while Jade stood in front of the tree.  
  
"You know what" Jade began while the music started up.  
  
Right now I feel- Just like a leaf on the breeze  
  
Who knows where its blowin''  
  
Jade drew an imaginary design in the air, imitating a leaf floating to the ground.  
  
Who knows where it's goin''  
  
I find myself somewhere I- I never thought I'd be  
  
She leant against the tree, with a hand on her heart  
  
Goin' round in circles  
  
Thinking about you and me  
  
Ben walked out on stage, leading Calliope by the hand ,neither of them noticing the two girl behind them  
  
How do I explain it when I don't know what to say  
  
What do I do now- so much has changed  
  
Jade turned to Aoife holding her hands out in a desperate plea, Aoife leant down and placed her hand on Jades shoulders comfortingly.  
  
Nothing I have ever known-has made me feel this way  
  
Nothing I have ever seen- has made me want to stay  
  
Jade stood up and walked across the stage, slowly.  
  
She stopped and looked around her surroundings sadly.  
  
But here I am- ready for you  
  
I'm torn, I'm fallin'- I hear my home callin'   
  
She looked between Ben and then back at the forest, her eyes filled with sadness.  
  
Hey- I've never felt something so strong- oh no  
  
It's like nothing I've ever known  
  
Jade shook her head and looked upwards as if searching for an answer from above.  
  
Now you're the one I'm lookin' for  
  
You're the one I need  
  
You're the one that gives me- a reason to believe  
  
She turned towards Ben, holding her arms towards them but then she pulled them back and hugged herself  
  
Following a star - has lead to where you are  
  
Its feels so strong now- this can't be wrong now  
  
Jade whirled around gently, her skirt swishing after her and her arms spread out.  
  
Nothing I have ever known-has made me feel this way  
  
Nothing I have ever seen- has made me want to stay  
  
But here I am- ready for you  
  
Jade stood in front of Ben but he seemed not to notice her while he glanced back at Calliope.  
  
I'm torn, I'm fallin'- I hear my home callin'   
  
Hey- I've never felt something so strong- oh no  
  
It's like nothing I've ever known  
  
Jade sank onto her knees, looking up at the sky when she drew the imaginary design of the leaf again before she stopped and watched as Ben left with Calliope while Aoife sat next to her, resting her hand on her shoulder  
  
Right now I feel- I feel Like a leaf on a breeze  
  
Who knows where its blowin  
  
Who knows where its goin'  
  
Jade bowed her head in defeat and the curtain fell.  
  
Misty's head bobbed up as soon as the curtain touched the wood of the stage.   
  
Duplica paused and but her lips.  
  
Misty stood up to leave when Duplica grabbed her wrist firmly.  
  
"Something the matter?" Misty asked curiously, noticing her friends expression.  
  
"Yeah I have something to tell you, something I have to tell you, something you need to know something"  
  
Duplica knew she was stalling and what was worse was that Misty knew she was stalling.  
  
"Well when you get around to saying what this crucial something is, you will let me know?" she teased as she stood up.  
  
"Misty it's about Ash" she blurted out.  
  
This caught Misty's attention and now Duplica found herself the victim of an intense stare.  
  
"Well?" Misty asked after a moments silence, tensing.  
  
"Well he"  
  
"Um Misty?" Snap called out, approaching the pair.  
  
"What?!" they both snapped, stressed out about the conversation which was added to the stress of the musical and neither were feeling particularly patient about now.  
  
"I wanted to talk to you about something" Snap murmured.  
  
Misty looked at Duplica who seemed distant since Snap showed up.  
  
Misty searched her friends face for any sign that she was going to say something but the green haired youth had closed herself off form the world.  
  
Duplica looked at her and shook her head.  
  
"I'll tell you later" she said softly and she slinked offstage leaving a stunned Misty who then in a huff, stalked offstage pushing Snap ahead of her.  
  
Once they had found a quiet place, Misty folded her arms across her chest and looked at Snap, annoyed.  
  
She wasn't annoyed with him, well not completely anyway, but she was frustrated with the whole situation and really missed her best friend and was becoming steadily angrier at the state of affairs the group had found themselves.  
  
Like Ash, she also was looking back to their youth when everything had been so much simpler but wasn't thinking of resorting to anything as drastic as Ash was.  
  
Truth be told, neither of them wanted to back to their youth because while they had been fun, they had fun s teens as well and to try and muddle through puberty again would be way too big a trek to attempt again.  
  
Duplica walked around backstage, furiously wiping her eyes with her hands.  
  
"Big girls don't cry" she hissed to herself, willing her eyes to stop watering but she couldn't take this, it was too much.  
  
There was only so much a girls heart could take without needing to protect herself.  
  
Her heart had been on her sleeve for much too long and she needed to take a break and lick her wounds.  
  
"And I was stupid enough to think that maybe he liked me" she mocked herself.  
  
Earlier that week, she had thought he was paying attention to her in a new light but at the end of the day, Misty was the one he wanted to talk to in private.  
  
This was one of those time when your heart and head clash.  
  
Every ounce of logic in Duplica's head was telling her to cut her losses and to walk away from this but her head needed to know for definite whether Snap was going to do what she thought he would do.  
  
Her heart won out though and Duplica searched for the pair, she found them in a corner and hid herself, leaning in to listen to the conversation.  
  
"What's wrong?" Misty asked, her expression softening when she saw how nervous Snap seemed to be acting.  
  
He paced in front of her, grinding his balled up left fist into his outstretched right palm  
  
"You and I have known each other for a while now" he began, glancing at Misty every now and again but quickly averted his gaze.  
  
"True" Misty agreed, watching him cautiously.  
  
"And we have had some fun" he continued.  
  
Misty nodded along.  
  
"But I you, I think we should see other people" he rushed the words out so fast Misty nearly didn't catch them but then suddenly it hit her like a pile of bricks.  
  
She bit her lip, as if considering her options and decided her course of action.  
  
Misty bolted up and stared at him in shock.  
  
"What? Why?" she demanded, her voice filled with emotion.  
  
"We're not right for each other and I.." Snap paused then nodded, plucking up the courage he needed.  
  
"I am completely in love with another girl" he said firmly, fixing his gaze on Misty.  
  
Misty turned away and sighed sadly.  
  
"I can see your minds made up, that girl is very lucky, I hope she knows how lucky she is. I'm sorry it had to end like this"   
  
Snap smiled at her sadly and walked away but paused at the sound of Misty's voice.  
  
"Hey, what's the name of this wondergirl?" Misty called after him.  
  
"Duplica A. Livingston, always has been, always will be" he called back with more confidence then Misty ever remembered him.  
  
"Thought so" Misty smirked and continued on, wondering how she had failed to notice Snaps feeling, well whatever they were, they were gone and Misty thought she should be sad except she had no reason to be.  
  
It was very bizarre feeling.   
  
Duplica almost left out a laugh of delight but restrained herself and waited for Snap to walk by before she fell into step beside him.  
  
"Hi" she piped up suddenly.  
  
"Duplica A.Livingston?" Snap cried out in surprise, not noticing her until then.  
  
"So " she began conversationally.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"You just told Misty that you loved me"  
  
Snap froze in his tracks.  
  
"I.."  
  
"Why do guys have to make things at least eight times more complicated than they need to be?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.  
  
"Like you can talk, you're a girl do you have any idea who nonsense you ladies can, of course it the best kind of nonsense" Snap grinned as Duplica pressed her forehead against his .  
  
"That's what girls do, we keep you guessing the whole way through" Duplica smiled shyly at Snap and they shared a soft gentle kiss.  
  
"Is it something in the water? " a voice demanded from behind them.  
  
They both pulled apart instantly to see Mr. Crefell scowling at them.  
  
Mr. Crefell sighed.  
  
"And if so, where can I find a bottle of this water" he asked no one in particular as he wandered away.  
  
Duplica and Snap both blushed shyly, Duplica took Snaps hand gently and led him away.  
  
"Where are we going?" he asked curiously.  
  
"We have one more problem to sort out and then everything will be perfect" she replied cheerfully.  
  
"What problem?" Snap asked suspiciously.  
  
"Ash and Misty" Duplica replied with a wink.  
  
"Ohh man, it would be easier to solve all wars, cure all world hunger and figure out girls" Snap objected.  
  
"I've always been ambitious" Duplica grinned.  
  
Misty straightened out her outfit and fixed her hair when someone appeared behind her in the mirror.  
  
Misty whirled around and found herself face to face with Rudy.  
  
"Hey peaches, howzabout after this play, you and get a little more acquainted?" he asked in his usual charming voice.  
  
To his surprise, Misty stated giggling sweetly, like any other girl when he turned on the charm.  
  
She rubbed her leg with her foot, raising her knee higher, almost as if she was flirting with him.  
  
"Stop with the chat-up lines and leave me alone or else I will knee you so hard in your family jewels that your grand kids, that is provided you can produce children afterwards, will be signing alto for the rest of their days, understand?" she threatened in a low dangerous tone.  
  
This time it was Misty who was surprised, Rudy threw his head back and laughed heartily.  
  
"Man, you're never gonna be interested are you?" he asked, after his laughter had died down.  
  
Misty shook her head with a weak smile.  
  
Rudy ran his hand through his hair.  
  
"Then I'm officially ending it, it's been fun red" he said with a friendly grin.  
  
Misty smiled back and shook his head.  
  
As Rudy walked away, Misty wolf whistled in jest and hooted.   
  
Rudy laughed and waggled his butt as he left, causing more whistles from Misty.  
  
The play was drawing to a close and Jade and Ben had just confessed their feelings to one another.  
  
The humans and magic wielders had been furious at them and were about to start a war when the two teens suggested a compromise.  
  
The magic wielders were forced to make peace with the humans and as a peace offering, the magic wielders blessed the animals of the forest and the world with magic powers, allowing some of the animals to call on the power of water and others called on the power of fire and so forth.  
  
Everyone on-stage cheered when the Pokemon appeared and Melody pranced on-stage announcing that's that the story of how Pokemon came to be.  
  
The curtain sank and the theatre filled with applause.  
  
Duplica stood in front of Misty and she took a deep breath.  
  
"What's wrong?" Misty began.  
  
"Ash is gonna leave. I heard him say it to Pikachu, he's gonna leave on his Pokemon journey because of the mess that's happened here and I know you don't want it to end like that but he's gonna leave" Duplica burst out.  
  
Misty's expression darkened and she stalked off.  
  
"The hell he is" she growled.  
  
Ash was walking across the stage when Misty ran in front of him to block his path.   
  
Everyone on-stage backed off when they saw the fight that was about to ensue.  
  
The curtains rose for the cast to bow but that wasn't happening and because everyone was still in costume and the sets were still there, the audience assumed this was part of the play.  
  
"So running away, that would been so impressive, I'm surprised you didn't want more people to know " Misty began, fists balled up at her side.  
  
Ash's expression clouded over.  
  
"Oh now you're noticing me well don't I feel special" he snapped.  
  
"You were just going to leave without a word to anyone, how selfish can you be?" Misty cried, stamping her foot on the ground.  
  
"What do you care, you've got prince charming over there" Ash yelled back, pointing at Rudy.  
  
"Him? How could you think I care about him? I care about you, you moron! You're the one I've shared my life with, the one I grew up with and the person I want to grow old with!" Misty practically screamed at him.   
  
The audience gasped at this and Delia Ketchum leant towards Daisy Waterflower.  
  
"She's very good" she complimented.  
  
"Yeah, I couldn't see why Jade would want to go for Ben anyway I mean with a guy like Finn around" Violet added, as the three sisters leant forward in their chairs.  
  
"Then why have you been treating me like the scum you find stuck to the bottom of your shoe?" Ash demanded.  
  
Misty's eyes flooded with tears.  
  
"I didn't mean to, things have been so tough lately" she sniffed. "and I need you to help and I need to love because I know you did before. You can't leave she sniffed again.  
  
Ash's eyes pricked with tears.  
  
"I do love you, probably now more than ever and I need you too but you didn't need me, not when you had prince charming or at least when I thought you wanted prince charming. Please don't cry" he begged softly.  
  
Misty looked at him, tears running down her cheeks and she leapt into his arms hugging him tightly.  
  
"Please don't scare me like that" she begged softly as she felt Ash tighten his grip on her.  
  
":I love you, you know that?" he whispered.  
  
Misty looked him straight in the eyes and planted her lips on his , finishing the fight with the most passionate kiss either ever had.  
  
The theatre was now filled with thunderous applause.  
  
Delia was crying and Misty's sisters hugged each other excitedly.  
  
Everyone swarmed around Mr. Crefell, congratulating him on the production ands gushing about the shock ending.  
  
When Ash and Misty parted, they suddenly noticed where they had been fighting and both felt their cheeks go very ,very red.  
  
They both took a bow and the rest of the cast followed suit.  
  
Misty pecked Ash on the check and gave him a cuddle.  
  
Mr. Crefell smiled at them both.  
  
"I know they could pull it off" he smiled.  
  
"So that was fun" Richie commented.  
  
The group was sitting on-stage, watching as the last few people filed out of the theatre.  
  
Melody had her legs curled around his waist and her arms thrown around his shoulders, resting her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Yeah like a very romantic train crash" she joked.  
  
"Could have been worse" Snap added. His arm was thrown around Duplica's shoulder and she snuggled close to him.  
  
"But it could have been easier" Duplica smiled.  
  
"You guys have no sense of fun" Giselle scoffed., leaning her onto Brock's shoulder and tugged his arm further around her waist.  
  
"I'm beginning to worry about your sense of fun" Brock teased, pulling the brunette closer to him.  
  
"See it wasn't so hard ,was it?" Lisa asked, gloating slightly.  
  
She was lying down on the stage , Tracey sat beside her, toying with her hair  
  
"Aren't we being little miss know it all" he teased as he tugged on her hair and she sat up cuddling into him..  
  
Misty sat on Ash's lap, resting her head against his chest, smiling in contentment and giggling at her friends responses.  
  
"Well what can I say?" Ash laughed. "We like drama"  
  
"Yeah anyone up for this again next year?" Misty joked.  
  
"Yup" everybody chorused and then erupted into fits of laughter.  
  
"You know what?" Misty, sitting up and looking Ash in the eye.  
  
"We should go for a trip" she suggested.  
  
"Oh really?" asked with an amused smile.  
  
"Yeah, I say we get a train and go to the beach and stay there and have fun" she continued, her eyes twinkling like a child.  
  
"Yeah, that sounds fun and I get to see you in a bikini" Ash agreed.  
  
The rest of the group gave their approval and a plan was formed.  
  
A few days later.  
  
Ash strolled into the train station and walked around looking for the information stand.  
  
He ignored the amused stares people were giving him.  
  
He turned around when he heard someone call his voice.  
  
Brock was running towards him.  
  
"Hey Ash, you do know you got a Misty on your back?" he asked, teasingly.  
  
A giggle escaped the red head, firmly latched onto Ash's back.  
  
Ash bounced, causing Misty to laugh and he tightened his grip on her.   
  
"Yeah I went to her house and I haven't been able to get her off since. She can't get enough of me" he replied.  
  
"Hey!" Misty objected, slapping him across the back of his head playfully.  
  
"Yeah that's a small bit of a problem we've been having"  
  
One by one the rest of the group showed and Daisy showed up as well much to the groups surprise, but more surprising was the fact she arrived holding Dave's hand in her own.  
  
"Yeah like all your parents were okay with letting hormone hyped teens loose on an unsuspecting public" Daisy had sneered but there was no malice in it.  
  
Everyone piled onto the train when Misty held Ash back.  
  
"You know what this means don't you?" she asked, looking into his eyes.  
  
Ash rubbed his hands together gleefully.   
  
"Yeah we can teach the guys the card game with the impossible rules, passed on to us from the wise Oz and Reese" he gave her an evil smile.  
  
"No it means we.."  
  
Misty was caught by Ash as he grabbed her around the waist and slung her over his shoulder climbing into the train.  
  
Misty squealed with delight as they made their way to their friends, enjoying what they had now and wondering about what was to come  
  
.  
  
The End  
  
Awhh this is so sad, the longest story I have ever written and it's finally coming to an end.  
  
Well I'd like to say that I worked my hardest on it and did spend a long time on it but I had fun writing and I hope you enjoyed reading it.  
  
Anyway, keep an eye peeled for more stories because this is not the end my friends..ohhh no  
  
Mwa ha ha ha  
  
Thanks to everyone who reviewed and a final note, these are all the song used in this story, well full songs,  
  
1. Fever - Peggy Lee  
  
2. I could be the one - Donna Lewis  
  
3. He drives me crazy - Pokemon three  
  
4. Material Girl - Madonna  
  
5. Things that go bump in the night - All stars  
  
6. Two perfect girls - Pokemon Three  
  
7. Nothing I've ever known - Bryan Adams 


End file.
